Six Stages
by goldpiece
Summary: While working a case, Booth and Brennan go through Angela's six stages in very unconventional ways
1. Chapter 1 Stay the Night

A/N: thanks to Wolfy and Siapom. Your confidence in my writing ability makes me blush. You too Jaed621. Please enjoy.

Angela watched the FBI agent stride purposefully across the lab, a manila envelope in his hand. As he approached Dr. Temperance Brennan, Angela leaned over to the resident bug man, Jack Hodgins.

"Hodgins, watch this, he's going to say the five magic words that will make Brennan drop everything."

"And what words would they be, I'm in love with you?"

"No, but I'm still holding out hope. Nope, he'll say five little words, 'Bones, we've got a case." She smiled at Hodgins as both turned to watch Special Agent Seeley Booth. The FBI agent plopped the file down onto an examination table, just within Temperance Brennan's line of sight.

"Bones, we've got a case." Temperance looked up from the body she was examining and picked up the file.

"What are the details?"

"Well, it seems that a group of climbers discovered some human remains on a small ledge. A climber went missing there a few months ago, Callie Stevenson, and we're pretty sure the remains belong to her, but I need an id."

"How long do you think it'll take to get there?"

"We can probably be there in three hours provided that traffic doesn't hold us up."

"Okay, but I have to be back this evening. I have a date with David." Bones said as she stripped off her lab coat and hurried to grab her kit from her office. Booth grimaced at the mention of David, but for once he didn't comment on the man. It was no secret he didn't like him, but in general he tried to keep his opinions to himself. It took only a moment for Temperance to reemerge, ready to go out into the field. Booth flashed his charm smile, placed his hand on her back and steered her from the building.

Angela watched the pair leave and shook her head in amusement. She turned back to Hodgins before she walked away. "If I didn't know better I would say that those two were definitely at stage one."

"Stage one?"

"Yeah, you know, the six stages…stage one; stay the night."

XxXxX

The ride to the National park in Virginia was spent in mostly companionable silence. Booth had on the radio while Brennan looked over the case file. She would occasionally look out the window at the passing scenery. Finally, though their lack of conversation was not a problem, Booth had to break the silence.

"How are things with you and Dick…I mean David going?" Temperance turned to look at Booth, one eyebrow delicately raised.

"Fine. Why are you so curious all of a sudden?"

"I'm just trying to engage in small talk Bones. Neither of us have really said a word since we got in the car if you haven't noticed."

"Actually I hadn't. What about you? How's your love life been? I haven't seen Tessa in a long time."

"That's because I haven't been with Tessa in months. Ever since we didn't go on vacation together, things had changed. We just decided to split. Well, that and she was seeing someone else."

"Oh, Booth, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Don't worry about it. Things seem to be getting serious with you and…David."

"I don't know. He's a nice guy, funny, smart. I like him."

"Doesn't sound like he's the one though."

"Booth, it's ridiculous to think that there is only one person out there in the world for you. Love is only a biological response to compatible genes in another person."

"Way to take the romance out of it Bones."

"What do you mean? There's no romance involved. It's a scientific fact."

"Bones, there is so much more to love than that. Besides that explanation does not explain the connection between a parent and a child. Love is changing your priorities to accommodate someone else. It's knowing that you would do anything to protect the other person. Love is unconditional."

"That's quite a statement there Booth. Does that mean you love me? You did after all put your career on the line by removing my mother's earring from Graham Leger's house." Tempe teased, but Booth's sudden silence sobered her. She looked at him and noticed a look flash across his face.

"Looks like we're here." He said as he pulled up to a line of police cars. He flashed a smile at Temperance, hoping to get out of the discussion for a little bit. At least it would give him time to think up a response that wouldn't scare her off. As predicted, she dropped the subject as the Officer in charge, Lt. A.L. Hughes approached the pair.

"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, and this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. We're here to recover the remains."

"Right. I'm afraid only one of you will be able to get down to them. The remains are on a real thin ledge. Any more than one person and the ledge could collapse."

"Well that's reassuring." Booth muttered. Tempe stepped over to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the ledge. She returned her attention back to Booth.

"This shouldn't be a problem Booth. I can get down there pretty easily. I'll just collect some samples, and then pack the remains. We can send them to the Jeffersonian where I can get a better look at them."

"Are you sure? I don't want you down there if you could get hurt."

"I'll be perfectly fine. I've been in tighter spots before. This is nothing."

"Fine, but just be careful." Temperance looked at her partner and saw the look flash across his face again. She wondered at it for a moment, and then proceeded to get secure in a safety harness. Booth watched her, his forehead wrinkled with concern. Lt. Hughes watched him, somewhat amused. As Brennan disappeared over the edge, Booth took a deep breath and crossed his arms tightly over his torso.

"It must be tough working with your girlfriend." Lt. Hughes commented. Booth looked at the man briefly, and returned his gaze to the rope supporting Brennan along the face of the cliff.

"We're just partners." He answered. At this point, he had grown used to people misinterpreting his relationship with Temperance, but deep in the back of his mind, the part of his psyche where he compartmentalized his emotions, told him that he desperately wished it was more than assumption.

"Just partners my foot. I've had the same gal for a partner for ten years now, and I've never looked at her the way you do that pretty lady." The officer smiled knowingly at Booth, then walked away. Booth sighed and turned back to watch the rope. In the distance storm clouds began to gather.

It took several hours for the remains to be examined and packed for transport. The clouds had built up quickly and the sky was darkened with the almost black storm. A breeze kicked up, and with it, the first few drops of rain. Booth stepped over to the edge of the cliff and glanced down at the ledge. A basket of bones slowly ascended the side of the cliff as Brennan prepared herself.

"Bones, be careful. It's starting to rain."

"Booth, don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"You won't be once the cliff gets slick from the rain."

"Then I guess I'd better get up there before that happens, huh." A tug on the rope securing her indicated it was time for her to ascend the cliff face. Seeley moved back to allow her space as the rope inched higher up the cliff. The rain went from a light drizzle to a downpour. Booth made no move to grab an umbrella. He wanted to remain where he was to ensure that Brennan got back up safely. As her head and arms crested the lip, the rope broke.

Tempe clawed at the wet ground, but couldn't get a grip on anything. Seeley leapt at the edge of the cliff, sliding across the muddy ground and grabbed her hand. He watched, his heart in his throat, as she swung precariously.

"Just hang on Bones!" Seeley yelled down to her as he began to pull. Tempe's feet kicked at the edge of the cliff, trying to find a toehold.

"Can't go anywhere Booth." She threw back up at him, trying to stave off her rising panic. Booth let out a loud groan as he strained to pull her from his prone position. Finally, her feet caught hold of something, and she pushed up. Seeley pulled her up as he moved into a crouched position. As she crested the lip of the cliff a second time, Booth pulled her into an embrace, burying his head in her hair. She returned the comforting gesture, holding onto him tightly.

"Oh, God Temperance, I thought I lost you."

"I thought you did too Booth." She clung to him a little longer, before she felt that her legs would once again support her weight. Seeley helped her to her feet, and then looked her over to make sure she wasn't injured. She took in his appearance as well and frowned.

"Seeley, you got your suit dirty."

"It's just a suit Bones." His heart pounded a little at the sound of his name. He tried to calm his rapidly beating heart and the emotions that he knew were flittering across his face. "The suit I can replace."

Brennan blushed a little at the implication, then came back to reality when a medic approached to check her over. She looked over at Seeley as she followed the medic. He was staring at her with an intensity she wasn't familiar with. She shook her head a bit to clear the uncertainty that was there and turned her attention to the medic.

"I'm okay, really. Nothing's broken."

"Just let me do my job ma'am." The medic chastised, then began to look her over. She sighed, but submitted to the examination. Her gaze wandered back over to Booth, who continued to watch her deeply. There was something comforting and yet uneasy about the look at the same time. Brennan could feel the butterflies in her stomach as it turned. She felt her cheeks begin to burn, and watched as a slight smile crept over Booth's lips. The gesture did not reach his eyes, which remained intense with worry and relief.

"Alright ma'am, you're free to go. Looks like no harm came to you."

"Just like I said." Tempe huffed, and then strode over to Booth.

"The remains will be sent down to the Jeffersonian in the morning. We can't get anything else done here, so what do you say we head back. I'm sure you'll want to shower before meeting…your date." Booth let his gaze wander over her once more to confirm in his mind that she was okay.

"That's probably a good idea. I don't think La Vie En Rose would appreciate me coming in like this." She smiled at Booth and indicated her muddy form. He smiled and said it before he could stop himself.

"You mean they don't have mud wrestling there? And they call themselves a classy restaurant. Beautiful woman like you…they won't care. Mud just enhances it."

"I don't know what that means."

"It's a common phrase used when expressing an opinion about someone's appearance." Seeley joked as he opened the door for Brennan. She gave him a withering look before climbing into the SUV. Booth shut the door, jogged around to the driver's side, and got in.

"So denoting someone a mud wrestler is expressing the opinion that they look terrible."

"Bones, Bones, Bones…" Seeley muttered, shaking his head.

"Don't you Bones me!"

"You look like you've been wrestling in mud, hence the comment, however, the common expression I was speaking of was that you're beautiful." He said, exasperated. Tempe looked at him, stunned. Seeley mentally kicked himself. Although it was true, he wasn't supposed to be saying it out loud. They were partners, and she had a boyfriend.

They sat in awkward silence on the drive back. Temperance glanced a few times at Seeley, but neither knew what to say. Near the bottom of the hill, was a line of flashing red and blue. Seeley pulled up to the police vehicles and rolled down his window. Rain whipped into the vehicle, soaking the interior.

"What's going on?" Seeley asked the police officer who had approached the SUV. The officer shone a flashlight into the car.

"Road's washed out 'bout two miles down. You'll need to pull into the rest stop for the night, or head back the other way."

"Damn. Okay, thanks." Seeley turned to look at Brennan. "Well Bones, looks like we're stuck."

"Wonderful." She muttered and pulled out her cell phone. Booth drove off in the direction indicated by the officer to reach the rest stop. After dialing a number, Tempe sighed with each ring until finally, David answered his phone.

"David, hi, it's me…uh, huh, I miss you too. Listen, about tonight…yeah, I've heard the food's excellent. Too bad they don't have mud wrestling though. It's a joke David, something Booth said earlier…No, I don't think he actually likes…Look, I'm stuck in the middle of a storm in Virginia, and won't be able to make it…Yes, the road's washed out, and no one's being allowed…yes of course Booth's with me…" Temperance held the phone away from her ear, and glanced at Booth. He was grinning from ear to ear, and though he couldn't make out what David was saying, he knew that Brennan's boyfriend wasn't happy with the situation. Tempe glared at Booth for a second, making him lose the grin, before she returned the phone to her ear. "No, I do not willingly spend more time with Booth than you…it's part of my job! Look, you're obviously upset about this…oh, stop being such a baby…Yes, you are. Now how about rescheduling tomorrow. Okay, that's better…uh-huh, me too. Bye." Tempe rolled her eyes as she hung up the phone.

"Sorry about that, you know causing problems…" Booth finished lamely. As much as he didn't like David, he wasn't about to push his own luck with Temperance.

"It's not your fault. You didn't cause the rain." Temperance said. She wouldn't look at Booth, still too embarrassed that he heard her arguing with David. He'd been acting this way a lot lately, and it was starting to bother her. She turned her attention back to the scenery, and watched as rain whipped around the SUV. Lightning lit up the sky in the distance, and a gust of wind almost knocked the large vehicle over.

"Doesn't seem to be getting any better, does it?" Booth commented as he pulled off the main road and into the rest stop. While other cars were parked there, it was virtually empty. Booth steered into a parking spot and cut the engine. He laid his head back onto the headrest, and then turned towards Brennan. "So, what now?"

"I don't know about you Booth, but I want to get out of these wet clothes." Brennan looked down at her appearance, and upon looking back up at her partner, she placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening. "I only meant that I want to wear something dry, not, you know."

Seeley laughed, then reached back and grabbed her bag. He handed it to her, but didn't let go right away.

"We can do this one of two ways. I can shut my eyes while you change in the car, or you can run as fast as possible to the restroom and change there. It's up to you." His lips curled up into a half smile, and Temperance felt her heart pound a little harder. Her fingers tightened reflexively on the handle.

"I think I'll chance the rain." She gulped, and opened the door. He watched, amused, as she raced across the grounds to the restroom. With a sigh, Booth got out of the driver's seat and moved around the vehicle so he could lower the seats and make a passable bed. Once the seats were situated, he pulled two blankets from a storage compartment. Brennan had not yet emerged from the bathroom, so he hopped into the back of the SUV to quickly change. He peeled the wet suit off his frame until he wore only his boxers. Booth reached behind the passenger side seat and grabbed his overnight bag. When he pulled out a pair of track pants, he heard the door creak open.

"Booth I…" Temperance cut off as she stared at Booth. Her gaze roamed over his frame unabashedly before returning to his face. He sat there, slightly shocked that she was checking him out. When he was able to return to his normal senses, he quickly pulled on the athletic pants and turned away from Brennan.

"Bones, you'd better get back in here. You'll get soaked." He rummaged around his bag, not wanting to look at Temperance. Once he found what he was looking for, he pulled on the shirt. He heard Temperance climb in, and to his surprise, he found her in the back next to him.

"It's a little hard to hold a conversation from the front seat." She offered him a smile. He couldn't help but notice her cheeks were a little pink. For a moment, the only sound he heard was the rain pounding on the roof of the SUV. Finally he cleared his throat and looked at Temperance.

"If I'm not mistaken, I think Parker's left a couple of his games in here." He felt inside a pouch on the back of the driver's seat and smiled triumphantly as he extracted a couple of games, Memory, and Old Maid. Brennan noticed he looked like a kid in a candy store as she sorted through the pieces.

"Let's start with Memory. I was always good at that game." She said with a laugh and laid the cards face down between them.

"That doesn't surprise me." He grinned, watching as she made the first move.

Hours had passed, with both of them being overly competitive in the realm of children's games. After Seeley won the tenth round of Old Maid, Brennan threw her cards at him, only making him laugh harder.

"See, you are a sore loser. Face it Bones, when it comes to card games, I'm always going to win!"

"Ugh, Booth, it's Old Maid, not poker!" Brennan spat then gasped, her eyes going large at the hurt look on Booth's face. "Oh, god, Booth, I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"No, Bones, don't." Seeley sighed and lay down, facing the roof of the SUV. He raised one hand to his forehead and rubbed his hand slowly down his face. "Don't apologize."

"Booth…" she sighed, then lay down next to him, also facing the ceiling. Booth looked at her when she sighed heavily a second time. "You're right about me, you know? I don't know how to deal with people. I say the wrong things, I push them away…I deserve to be a recluse."

"Oh, you do not Bones. Look, I know you didn't mean anything by what you said. You've come a long way since we started working together. You're not the only person who suffers from foot-in-mouth disease. It happens to me all the time."

"I don't know what that means."

"I once went out with my cousins and got drunk. Anyway, while out with them I went on and on about how beautiful my cousin Daniel's fiancé was, and how she was just glowing. So after gushing for about ten minutes, I finally asked her when the baby was due. Yeah, she wasn't pregnant." Booth offered her a sheepish smile as she laughed.

"When I was seventeen, there was this boy, Brandon Reilly that liked me. So, at a Christmas dance, he kissed me. It was my first kiss, and I was really nervous. When he pulled away from me, I looked at him and said, 'Wasn't I supposed to feel something?'"

"Oh the poor guy. I've been slapped for kissing a girl before."

"You Booth? I never would have thought."

"Yes, well the Booth charm takes a while to refine. It was just before I left to join the army. There was this girl I liked, Susie Meyers. I overheard her tell her friend that she would give anything for me to kiss her senseless, so I took the opportunity to do so."

"And she slapped you?"

"Yep. Apparently, she was being sarcastic because she was trying to get her friend off her back. It seems her friend thought that she had some deep seated attraction to me."

"Boy, that sounds familiar."

"Gee thanks. Way to play my ego."

"Oh, your ego's just fine, and I certainly don't need to stroke it. I'm sure there are plenty of women willing to do just that." Temperance looked confused as Seeley began to laugh, hard.

"Bones, if you were ever willing to stroke my ego, I'd die from the shock."

"I didn't mean it like that!" She swatted at him playfully, and he hit back. Both laughed as a mock battle ensued. Temperance's competitive nature began to get the better of her, and soon Booth had to pin her arms down. Temperance lay on her back, her hands held over her head by Booth and looked into his eyes. There was an intensity to them that she didn't understand, but it made her stomach clench. She felt herself growing warm under his gaze. At that moment, there was only one thing she could think of, and that was how it would feel to be kissed by Seeley Booth. She closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly, anticipating his next move. What he did next surprised her. He let go of her arms.

"Bones, it's late, and I think it's time we went to sleep." Booth let out a breath, and then moved as far from Bones as he could. Temperance rolled over a little until she was looking at his back. _Why didn't he kiss me? I thought he would for sure._ David suddenly sprang to mind and realization dawned. Seeley Booth had never cheated on anyone in his life, and he wasn't about to let her fall onto that path. A small smile graced her lips as she returned to her side of the SUV.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome Temperance. Now go to sleep."

XxXxX

The morning dawned bright and cloudless. Seeley slowly woke up with the heat of the sun burning across his face. He tried to sit up, but found his movement hindered by something. Turning his head, he found Temperance wound around him, sleeping peacefully. He smiled sadly as he watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest. This was something that he'd been wanting for a while now, but under much different circumstances.

Temperance stirred in her sleep as wakefulness began its slow progression through her body. She felt well rested and infinitely comfortable. With a happy sigh, Brennan opened her eyes. She looked into the warm brown eyes of Seeley Booth, then noticed the way she was curled around him.

"Oh, Booth, I'm sorry. I usually sleep like a boulder."

"That's sleep like a stone. Don't worry about it Bones. What say we get up and see if we can't find something to eat on our way back to DC." At the mention of food, Tempe's stomach growled loudly. "I'll take that as a yes. Now come on sleepyhead, let's get going."

They both avoided each other's gaze as they moved to the front seats of the SUV. Booth started up the vehicle and began driving. He replayed the night over in his mind and smiled. It had been an interesting evening.

"Hey Bones?"

"Yeah Booth?"

"Thank you. There isn't anyone I would rather have spent the night with than you."

"Well, I'm glad I could be so accommodating then." She smiled at him and turned back to the scenery. It had been an interesting night, and she could only imagine what her best friend would say when she got back to work.


	2. Chapter 2 Doubtful David

"You're late." Angela said, a wicked smile playing on her lips. It was ten o'clock in the morning and Brennan had finally shown up. The remains had beaten her to the Jeffersonian by two hours, and Zach was already working on them.

"I'm aware of that Angela." Temperance swiped her card and entered the examination platform, Angela by her side.

"You could have taken the day off, you know."

"No, I couldn't. I have to get this id for Booth as soon as possible."

"And, how is the sexy G-man?"

"Angela, this conversation is swinging towards dangerous territory."

"So something did happen last night. I knew it!"

"Nothing happened!"

"Oh, it so did or you wouldn't be so defensive."

"You sound like Booth."

"Booth's a smart man. Now what happened?"

"Nothing."

"My foot. I'll ask Booth when he shows up. It'll just be easier if you tell me now." Brennan threw her best friend a dirty look and stepped over to the remains. Angela could see the professional Brennan take over and knew that she wasn't going to get anything out of her. Fine. She'd just wait until Booth arrived.

Angela didn't have to wait long. Booth scanned himself in and stepped onto the examination platform.

"Morning Angela, morning Bones." Booth sent Brennan a charm smile when she turned around. Angela couldn't help but notice how her best friend lit up at his presence.

"Booth. You look better."

"I told you I could get the suit replaced."

"Suit replaced? And why exactly would you need to replace a suit?" Angela asked, perking up.

"Because Bones and I had a little fun rolling around in the mud."

"Booth!"

"Hold the phone. A little fun in the mud?" Angela let a guffaw slip. Brennan threw her another look, and Booth just grinned.

"Yeah, before the wrestling match in my SUV." Brennan punched Booth in the arm, hard.

"Wow Booth, I always figured you'd be good, but this is kinda kinky."

"Ange, nothing happened!" Temperance glared at Booth. He smiled as he rubbed his arm.

"She's right Angela. Now, what can you lovely ladies tell me about the remains?"

"Victim is female, age twenty five to thirty. Compaction in the spine, as well as fractures in the fibulas and tibias indicate a fall from a great height." Bones said as she indicated the damage on the remains.

"Just like Marni Hunter." Booth said quietly as he moved in behind Brennan to look at the remains.

"Very good." She turned to look at Booth, their faces only inches apart. Her breath caught and did not go unnoticed by Booth. A slow smile spread over his face before he moved away.

"Angela, how long before I have a face?" he asked.

"You don't like the one you have?"

"Very funny."

"As soon as Zach cleans the bones, I'll be able to start. I can't be more specific than that."

"That's fine. Just call me once you've got it." He nods to Brennan and leaves. Once he is out of earshot, Angela turns to Brennan.

"I don't care what you say Sweetie, something happened last night."

XxXxX

Temperance sat across the table from David, soft candlelight playing over her features. He looked across at her and smiled. At a quirk of her eyebrows, he answered her silent question.

"I was just thinking about how lucky I am to be with someone as beautiful as you."

"Beautiful? I hardly think so."

"Temperance, you're gorgeous. That's the reason Booth's so interested in you."

"David, are you saying that the only reason Booth would be interested in me is because of my appearance? He respects me for my abilities. My looks have nothing to do with his interest." Even as she said it, her mind flittered back to his casual comment on her appearance. Did Booth really think she was pretty?

"That's not what I meant, and you do admit that he's interested in you."

"What? No. Booth's my partner, that's all."

"Tempe, the man is completely into you. You'd have to be blind not to see it."

"I don't think I like that implication. I've never noticed an attraction. Are you implying that I'm not aware of what's going on around me?"

"Sometimes, yes. What happened last night? You said you had to stay there with Booth. Does that mean you slept with him?"

"Well yes, but what does that have to do with our conversation?" Tempe looked at him, awaiting his answer. She wasn't sure why he looked so angry.

"You admit to having sex with Booth to your boyfriend? Christ Temperance!" David said, his voice raising. People at the surrounding tables began to look at him.

"I didn't say I had sex with Booth! I said I slept with him. In the same car. At a rest stop. With other people there. What type of a person do you think I am?" Her heart beat a little faster at the thought of the kiss they almost shared. By now all of the patrons were looking at them.

"What was I supposed to think when you said you slept with him? Am I supposed to think, gee, this beautiful woman is out with her partner who has a thing for her and they didn't have sex? No. You're out there with another man."

"I can't believe you think I'd have sex with someone just because I was in a car with them! And for your information David, Booth has never cheated on anyone, and he certainly wasn't going to let me fall into that trap!"

"So something almost happened, and you initiated it?"

"What do you want me to say? He saved my life, then I insulted him, and after a few hours of bonding over children's games I almost kissed him, that I wanted to kiss him? Is that what you want me to say? Did anything happen? No. Why? Because I'm dating you! Would something have happened if circumstances were different? Who knows? If you don't trust me, then why are you with me?"

"Temperance..." The sting of her hand across his cheek cut him off.

"No! I don't want to hear what you have to say. You obviously don't trust me, so I don't know why I'm here. Goodbye David." Temperance stood from the table and stormed out. David covered his cheek and watched, speechless as she left the restaurant. When he realized that all eyes were on him, he sat back down glumly. The evening had not gone how he'd wanted.

XxXxX

Temperance stood over the remains of the dead climber, still seething. She hadn'tslept because thoughts of her argument with David continued to swirl through her mind. She tried to focus on the body before her and push all other thoughts from her mind, but it just wasn't helping. Finally, she left the examination platform and made her way to her office.

Angela finished with her facial reconstruction on the victim and brought her sketch to Brennan's office. When she stepped into the room, she tried to suppress a smile as she watched Temperance pace.

"You've been around Booth too much."

"What's that supposed to mean? What is this sudden obsession with my relationship with Booth?"

"Whoa, just rein in the snarkiness there Sweetie. All I meant is that I've never known you to pace." Temperance looked at Angela and immediately stood still. Her hands however, continued to tap on the sides of her legs. Angela tried desperately not to grin at her friend and handed her the sketch.

"I've just finished with the sketch, thought you might want to get it to Booth. How was your date last night?"

"Don't even mention David to me."

"Did you break up? Was it because of Booth?" Temperance glared at her best friend before she looked over the sketch. "Oh my god. It is because of Booth. What did happen in the mountains?"

"Angela, I'm not going over this again. Nothing happened. Believe me."

"But you wanted something to happen, didn't you?"

"Who wanted something to happen?" Both women turned to the doorway. Boothstood there looking from one woman to the other.

"Angela finished the sketch of our victim." Brennan handed over the sketch to Booth. He took it and looked it over.

"Great. I'll compare this to that of our missing person. Thank you, both of you, for your quick work on this."

"We'll have our report on cause of death sent soon."

"So it wasn't just a fall from the cliff?"

"At first glance, yes. However, there was no evidence of particulates under the fingernails."

"She didn't struggle?"

"Well, yes she did, but there is no evidence that she attempted to break her fall. She has defensive wounds on her arms, and her hyoid is broken."

"Was she strangled?"

"It looks that way."

"Thanks Bones. I'll let you know if I get any leads on this." Temperance gave him a small nod as he left the lab. Angela shook her head and looked at her friend again.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

XxXxX

Booth pulled out a picture of Callie and compared it to the sketch. There was no doubt that it was the same woman. He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. Now that he knew he had a match to the victim, he needed to find her murderer. What was it Bones had said? She was strangled? This wasn't just a climbing accident; someone had taken the life of this beautiful young woman.

He opened the file on Callie and looked over the information. She was a twenty five year old young woman who was in school to get her Master's Degree, and worked as an exotic dancer. She lived in DC with her parents, and had been reported missing when she didn't return from a climbing trip with friends. Booth looked over all of the names, writing them down for later interviews.

Booth looked over at the clock, not believing it was already six in the evening. _What I could use right now is a drink._ He quickly straightened his office and left with the file in his hand. Sid's would be packed, but his seat should still be available. What had almost happened in the SUV bothered him. His carefully controlled relationship with Temperance had almost crossed the line last night, and he needed to think over the implications. It was getting more and more difficult to work with her as she relaxed and let the wall around her crumble. Temperance really was one of the most caring people that he knew, but she had held the world at arm's length for so long, that now it was becoming too much to deal with. Something was going to snap, and very soon.

XxXxX

Temperance looked up at the door to her office as she saw someone enter. She frowned at a contrite looking David.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came by to apologize. I was way out of line last night." He pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back and handed them to Temperance. She took them, but remained stoic.

"You hurt me last night David. Your implications were based on nothing. I can't believe you think me capable of cheating on you."

"It's not so much you that I worry about as Booth…"

"But by thinking Booth would do something so underhanded you are also showing doubt in me. It's showing doubt that I wouldn't be able to resist his charm." She lowered her head to smell the flowers and hid a small smile as her thoughts returned to his comment from the night before. _The Booth charm takes a while to refine._

"You think he's charming?"

"Don't you? David, the man is polite, funny, charming, and he's one of my best friends, not my boyfriend."

"And what about me? Are we okay?"

"At this particular moment? Yes, but I want you to understand that I will not stand for another accusation."

"Understood. Now, can I make up for last night by taking you to dinner?"

"Okay, but you have a lot to make up for."

"Well, I'll do what I can to earn back your affections." He offered her a small smile before leading her from the Jeffersonian.

XxXxX

"Booth, where are we going?" Temperance asked as he held the door open for her.

"We're going to speak to Callie Stevenson's parents."

"Oh. Right." She slid into the SUV and waited for Booth to climb in as well.

"Did Hodgins find anything that would indicate that Callie was murdered elsewhere?"

"No. Everything indicates that she was killed on-site."

"She was probably lured there somehow if she didn't leave with her friends. Any DNA evidence not matching the victim?" Booth pulled out of the parking lot and began the drive to the Stevenson residence.

"No, everything was clean. Whoever murdered her did a great job of concealing evidence. Hodgins couldn't even find a stray hair."

"Well that's not making this easier. The crime scene is set, but we have no other evidence to go on. What are your thoughts about the killer?"

"Whoever did this was strong enough to break her hyoid, and based on her height and weight, I'm assuming they were much larger than her. I don't think they were a climber though."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, it would have been much easier to simply cut her line and make it look like an accident than to strangle her and drop her over the edge."

"Point taken. You're getting much better at conjecture Bones."

"I did learn from the best." She offered him a smile, which was returned by a large one of his own. The remainder of the trip was made in companionable silence as Bones looked out the window and Booth concentrated on the road.

They arrived at the Stevenson house about half an hour later, neither surprised at the ordinariness of the place. Booth and Brennan got out of the SUV and strode to the door. After knocking, the door was opened by a middle-aged woman with graying hair.

"Can I help you?" She asked, looking from one to the other.

"Mrs. Stevenson? I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, and this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. We're here in regards to your daughter Callie."

"Has she been found?" The woman looked hopeful.

"May we come in Mrs. Stevenson?" Booth offered the woman a sympathetic smile as she nodded her head and moved aside, allowing them entry. They followed her to the living room and sat as she indicated the love seat. Temperance was very aware of Booth's proximity, and jumped when his knee brushed against hers.

"Now what can you tell me about my daughter."

"Is your husband home?"

"Jack? No, he's at work. It's just me."

"Mrs. Stevenson, we've found Callie's remains."

"Her…you mean she's…" tears filled the woman's eyes as she let out a loud wail. Brennan glanced quickly at Booth and reached into her purse for a tissue pack. She handed one to the distraught woman.

"I know this is difficult Mrs. Stevenson, but I need to ask you some questions. Do you know of anyone that would want to hurt Callie?"

"No. She was a bit reclusive, always had her nose in a book. The few friends she did have were the same way."

"Besides rock climbing, was Callie interested in sports?"

"Oh, Callie didn't rock climb. She spent all her time at the library."

"Mrs. Stevenson, what did your daughter do for work?"

"She worked at the University's library. They stayed open late, so she worked the late shift." Booth glanced at Brennan, and then returned his attention to Mrs. Stevenson.

"Thank you ma'am. We'll have your daughter's remains back to you. If you have any questions, or if you can think of anything that might help us, please call me." Booth handed her his card and stood, along with Bones. They exited the house, neither speaking until they were back in the SUV.

"Well, it looks like Callie's parents didn't know much about her." Temperance said as they drove away.

"And that's not going to make this investigation any easier."

A/N: Okay, so in between each stage will most likely be filler stuff, kind of like this. I hope it's still up to expectations. Sorry she didn't dump David, but there's more story to go. Thanks to Wolfy just cause, and thanks to Siapom for listening to my agonizing as we looked over yummy pictures of Booth.


	3. Chapter 3 Going Down South

A/N: I owe a huge thank you to Wolfy and Siapom for their kind words while I was writing this story. You two rock. Now, on with the story.

"Dr. Brennan, I'd like to thank you for taking this opportunity to do a reading from your new book, 'Bed of Bones'." A professor of Creative Writing said as she introduced Temperance to the audience. The forensic anthropologist nodded and smiled before she began to read. She had always enjoyed trips to NCU, but this was the first time at the campus for her writing.

Seeley Booth entered the darkened auditorium and sat towards the back, not wanting to cause Brennan a disruption. He closed his eyes, content to listen to her smoky voice. The sound washed over him like a gentle breeze, comforting his active mind. He wasn't paying attention to the words so much as the sound, and found himself drifting off to sleep.

Brennan had finished her reading as well as the question and answer session. She packed up her belongings and noticed one person remaining in the auditorium. Once she recognized the unmistakable form of her partner sleeping in the back row, she smiled and made her way toward him. He looked so peaceful that she felt bad about waking him up. She leaned in over him, her faces only inches from his.

"Booth." Nothing. She reached out and shook him slightly. Still no response.

"Booth." She said it louder this time. He shifted in his seat and muttered something. Temperance sighed. For a former sniper, the man was impossible to wake up. She tried one more time.

"Seeley!" Brennan almost shouted his name. His eyes flew open, and as he sat up, his head collided with her nose. Blood immediately began to gush from the appendage, surprising both of them.

"Oh, god, Bones!" He reached out to stem the flow, but got his hand slapped for the effort. "It isn't broken is it?"

"No." She sat down next to him, her nose pinched and head back. "Why are you here?"

"A body was found in Caesar's Head State Park, in South Carolina." Booth opened a file to show a picture to Brennan. "Same scenario as before, the remains are located on a small ledge, and were discovered by some hikers yesterday. It looks like we've got a serial killer on the loose."

"Booth, I promised David I'd spend this weekend with him. I don't think it would be a good idea to cancel on him."

"I suppose you could always…invite him down." Saying it put a bad taste in Booth's mouth. He knew that she and David were trying to mend their relationship, but he really couldn't believe she wanted to. Brennan cocked an eyebrow at Booth.

"Booth, I really doubt that David would want to fly down to South Carolina and have no time to spend with me."

"Bones, I really need you on this. Please? I hear that Greenville is beautiful. How could he not want to spend a sexy weekend away with you in a beautiful mountainous region? I'd want to."

"Want to what?"

"Spend a sexy weekend away with you." Booth smiled, then at the look he was getting from Brennan, tried to fix the statement once its implications became obvious. "I mean, you know, if I were dating you, which I'm not, you know, because you have a boyfriend. I'm just digging myself into a deeper hole, aren't I?"

Brennan stared at Booth. _Did he just imply what I think he implied?_

"Are you sure you want me to invite David? It wouldn't be productive to the investigation." She tried to bring the conversation back on topic, but her heart pounded in her chest.

"Bones, I need you. Please just come with me. You know I won't go to anyone else with my cases." He offered her a charm smile, and found her smiling back at him.

"Fine. I'll go with you, but don't think that charm smile will always work on me."

"I told you before, it's a sign of respect."

"Respect my…"

"Now Bones, no need for profanity."

"Yeah, yeah. Just give me a minute to call David, okay?"

"Sure." Booth gave her a tight nod and left the auditorium. _How does he do that to me? One smile and I give in. It's so frustrating._ She smiled softly and pulled out her cell phone.

"David, hi…Yes, I'm looking forward to this weekend as well. Listen, about the trip…No, I'm not canceling, just asking for a change in venue…I've been pulled onto a case and need to go to Greenville, South Carolina…yes, Booth will be there…I am not trying to get out of seeing you…David, if you're going to act this way…Okay, then I'll see you tomorrow." Temperance hung up the phone and rolled her eyes. His jealous streak was getting old. _There's no reason for him to be jealous of Booth, is there?_ She shook away the thoughts and left the auditorium in search of her partner.

"Did you speak to David," he asked. Tempe noticed that he attempted a casual air, but seemed tense.

"Yes. He'll be down tomorrow morning. I just need to turn in my rental car and check out of my hotel, then we can head out." Booth seemed to deflate a little at the news, but smiled anyway. The warmth of his expression didn't make it to his eyes.

"Great, that gives me your undivided attention for a day! I brought some more games, you know, in case we need to entertain ourselves."

"It'll be a little hard for you to play with me and drive at the same time." Temperance grinned until she noticed that Booth had turned a little red. "That hole you were digging? Need any help?"

"Just be glad Angela didn't hear you say that," he laughed. After a moment, Temperance joined in.

"She still thinks something happened that night in the SUV, hasn't left me alone about it."

"Wow, she is persistent."

"You have no idea."

XxXxX

"Okay, here's the next one…what is your favorite flavor of jelly bean?" Temperance read the question. She and Booth had been on the road for three hours already and still had a ways to go as the roads began to wind through the Blue Ridge Mountains. After the first hour, she agreed to pull out the board games that he brought, and they decided that for every question she read, they would both answer.

"That's easy, pina colada. What about you?"

"Um, strawberry shortcake. I can't get enough of them. What category is next?"

"Anything goes." Booth glanced at her as she flipped through the cards. When she finally settled on one, he grinned. The game was certainly illuminating.

"What are three adjectives that describe the perfect kiss?" Temperance blushed a little as she read the question.

"Unexpected, intense, and gentle."

"How can something be gentle and intense at the same time?"

"I don't know Bones. You just asked me to describe the perfect kiss, so I did. Now what about you? What three words would you use to describe it?" Booth glanced at Tempe again, surprised to see her close her eyes. He returned his attention to the road to avoid an accident, but knowing that if he could, he would watch her all day.

"The perfect kiss would have to be…" a smile played across her lips. For what seemed the hundredth time in the past month, her mind returned to the kiss she almost shared with Booth. What would it have been like? Would it have been a perfect kiss? "…breath-taking, anticipated, and passionate."

"Anticipated? How does that make it perfect?"

"You know, when you're with someone and they get that look, like the only thing they want at that exact moment is to kiss you, and you want the same thing. You know like…" _When we were caught in that rainstorm._

"Like what?"

"Nothing. Next question. What do you think is the sexiest thing about the person you're sitting next to?" Temperance blushed. "Wait, let me pick a different one."

"Nope. You've already put the question out there, you can't take it back. Besides, I don't mind answering." A slow smile spread across Seeley's face. Tempe's heart beat a little faster. _Damn it, how does he do that to me?_

"You don't?"

"Nope. What I find most sexy about you is your mind."

"My mind? You think my mind is sexy?"

"Bones, despite what you think, I am not a Neanderthal. I happen to find intelligence very sexy, so long as it isn't coming from Zach. Then it's just scary, almost Hannibal Lector scary."

"I don't know what that means."

"Of course you don't, now answer the question."

"Your smile." She said it so quietly that he almost didn't hear her.

"I'm sorry, what was that Bones? I didn't hear you." She sighed, then closed her eyes, this time in embarrassment.

"Your smile. I think your smile is sexy." A slow grin spread over Seeley's face, which he flashed to her. He was taking great joy in the fact that so simple a gesture could now make her blush. _This could be fun._

"Now I know why you hate my charm smile so much. One look at it and you turn to mush. Ow, geez Bones, watch it. What do you want me to do, drive off the road?" He rubbed his arm where she hit him.

"You will if you don't keep your eyes on the road." Temperance crossed her arms over her chest and looked pointedly away from Booth. He chuckled and returned his attention to the winding road. Even though David would put a damper on things, this could prove to be an interesting couple of days.

XxXxX

They reached Greenville late in the evening. Temperance was sleeping, her face pressed into the glass of the car window. Booth glanced at her and smiled softly. When she was relaxed, and all her barriers were down, she looked so innocent.

"Bones, we're here." Booth shook her arm. She shifted in her seat and sighed a little. Booth shook her arm again. "Bones." Tempe's eyes fluttered open and she looked around, disoriented.

"Where are we?"

"Greenville. Did you sleep well?" He gave her a slow smile and watched as she grew a bit pink-cheeked.

"Yeah, a little." She shook her head to clear away the sleepiness. Booth got out of his rental and jogged around to her side, opening the door. She offered him a sleepy smile as she climbed out of the car. She looked at the motel, her eyebrow raised. "this is what the FBI thinks is an appropriate accommodation for their agents?"

"as long as it's clean and has a comfortable bed, you won't hear me complain," he said as he pulled their bags from the car. "I know it's late, and I don't know what they'll have available, but I'll try to get a separate room for you."

"Booth, that's not really necessary."

"I know, but with…David coming, I don't think he's appreciate us sharing a room." He offered her a tight smile, then went into the lobby of the motel. Brennan stayed outside in the warm night air, enjoying the gentle breeze washing over her. It was really sweet that Booth allowed her to invite David down. He knew she was trying to work out the kinks in her relationship, but it was a gesture he didn't need to make. She would have eventually gone with him. She smiled at the thought. It was that damn smile of his. He could make her agree to just about anything if he flashed her that charm smile, and worse, now he knew it.

"Well Bones, I have some good news, and I have some bad news."

"Okay?" She crossed her arms and looked at her partner.

"Well, the good news is, we're situated for the evening, the bad news is, I could only get one room."

"How is that bad news? I'm sure the room is a double, right?"

"Apparently Greenville is having some sort of tourism explosion right now which requires all rooms with double beds to be rented out. But don't worry, I already have a solution." He grinned at her, and went to the rental car. He popped the trunk and rummaged around, smiling when he found what he was looking for.

"You carry rope around in rental cars? Isn't that a little creepy?"

"Depends on what I plan on doing with it." He let the words hang there as they made their way to the room. It was clean, and looked comfortable enough. Brennan's gaze immediately zeroed in on the single queen size bed in the center of the room. Her heart pounded a little harder. For some reason, its presence bothered her much more than having to spend the night in the SUV with Booth. Their time in the car felt so innocent, but this…the implications were huge.

"Booth, what are you doing?" Tempe watched as Booth tied the rope up to two wall lamps, effectively dividing the room in half.

"The walls of Jericho, Bones. Nothing will topple them except for the sound of a trumpet." He grinned, then tossed a blanket up over the rope. One edge of the blanket cascaded down to the bed, and pooled directly in the middle. Bones shook her head in amusement.

"That's actually quite ingenious Booth. I'm impressed."

"Well, I can't sully the honor of my sexy-minded partner, can I?" Booth grabbed his bag and made his way to the bathroom to change. Tempe glanced around the room, suddenly nervous. How did she end up alone in a motel room with Booth? What was Angela going to say if she found out? The thought made Tempe groan. Booth reemerged from the bathroom, and Brennan found herself checking out his attire. He wore his usual white wife beater and a pair of pajama bottoms that had little habanero peppers on them with the words, 'The World's Hottest Chili Pepper' emblazoned on them.

"Bones, you keep staring at me and I'm gonna start blushing." Booth chuckled as her gaze shot back up to his face and a deep blush crept over her cheeks. Temperance looked away from him and rushed into the bathroom. Booth shook his head, amused, then climbed into one side of the bed. He turned off the light on his side of the bed. He heard Tempe reemerge, then felt the mattress on the other side of the 'wall' sink down as she settled herself in the bed.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"This isn't considered cheating, right?"

"Nope. Besides, as I said earlier, the Walls of Jericho are sound. You're fine." He closed his eyes and smiled up at the ceiling.

"Booth?"

"Yes Bones?"

"Good night."

"Sleep well Temperance."

XxXxX

Booth woke to the sound of a phone trilling. Once his sleep hazed mind registered that it wasn't his phone, he reached for Temperance to wake her up. With a wry chuckle, he realized he didn't have to reach far. Just as had happened a month earlier, Tempe was wrapped around Booth, sleeping contentedly.

"Bones, your phone is ringing." He shook her arm. Brennan's eyelids fluttered open for a moment before she let out a contented sigh.

"Just answer it. It's probably Angela." Brennan yawned and readjusted herself against his chest. Booth looked at her, incredulous. Did she really just say that? With a shake of his head, Booth pushed the blanket aside, reached across Tempe and grabbed her phone. Without checking the caller id, he answered the call.

"Look, Angela, can you call back. Bones is kinda busy right now."

"Agent Booth, what the hell are you doing answering Temperance's phone?"

"David? She's asleep. She asked me to answer the phone." Temperance's eyes popped open, and she attempted to sit up, but the hanging blanket got in her way as it toppled onto her. Booth watched with an amused expression.

"How could she ask you to answer the phone if she's asleep?" Temperance snatched the phone away from Booth and glared at him. He silently mouthed 'What?' then climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom for a shower.

"I'm not asleep, I'm right here!" she gasped into the phone.

"What are you doing with Booth at this hour of the morning? Are you sharing a hotel room?"

"Are you trying to accuse me of something?" Temperance was glad that she was on the phone because her face was a deep shade of red.

"Well, no, but, I mean, why did he answer your phone and say you were asleep? Did you sleep with him?"

"You're not starting that again are you? I don't cheat David. Now why are you calling?"

"My flight just got in. I just need to get my rental car and I'll meet you. Where are you staying?"

"The La Quinta Inn on Woodruff. The room is under Booth's name. Hello?" Temperance frowned at the phone when she heard the dial tone. With a frustrated growl, she set down her phone and sat back on the bed. She had the feeling that this weekend was not going to be pleasant.

David arrived twenty minutes later, determined not to jump to conclusions. Temperance was still going out with him, even after he made an ass of himself when he accused her of sleeping with her partner. Now though, they had shared a motel room. _Stop it David, she's not going to cheat on you. I'm sure the room had two beds and you're just jumping to conclusions._ He took a breath and went to the room number he was given.

David stood before the room for a moment to calm himself down. He wasn't mad at his girlfriend per se, but he didn't trust the agent to keep his hands off of Temperance. His nerves steeled, he knocked on the door. After a moment, the door swung open. David stared at Seeley for a moment, taken aback by the fact that he was shirtless.

"she's in the shower right now, but you're welcome to come in." Seeley stepped away from the door and moved to get a shirt from his bag.

"Aren't you a little underdressed for an investigation?" David looked at the jeans that Seeley had on, and the tee shirt in the agent's hand.

"Well, we are hiking up to the remains, and I don't know about you, but I'd prefer comfort over style." Booth smirked at the slacks and button down shirt that David wore. The investment banker frowned a little as he swept his gaze over the room. Single bed…very rumpled, and what was that rope doing hanging down the center of the room? Some very graphic images shot through his head, and it was all he could do to not hit Booth.

"Where's Temperance."

"She's in the shower right now. As soon as she's ready, we'll be heading up to Caesar's Head Sate Park. You've never really seen some of the remains that have come in have you?"

"No, but I can assure you that it takes quite a lot to turn my stomach."

"If you say so." The two men stood in silence, each standing a little straighter, and never taking their eyes off of the other man. "So, you've been dating, what, six months?"

"Seven."

"And things are going…good?"

"Yes, they are." They stood there, eye to eye, neither backing down. A door creaking open drew their attention away from each other and onto Temperance.

"Hey Booth, do you know where my…oh, David, you're here." Temperance smiled at her boyfriend, and then became self-conscious under the stares she was receiving. It occurred to her at that moment that she was wrapped in a bath towel and nothing else.


	4. Chapter 4 Confessions and Misconceptions

A/N: Thanks once again to Wolfy and Siapom, to whom I've been bouncing ideas off of for the last few days. Thanks also to everyone who has reviewed thus far. You've kept a permanent grin on my face for the duration of this fiction so far.

The drive to Caesar's Head State Park was pregnant with tension. No one spoke, and David just stared ahead, scowling. Of the three, the only person who seemed even slightly comfortable was Seeley as he fought the urge to break into a grin. There were obviously problems developing between Brennan and David, but he didn't want to seem hopeful that the man wouldn't be around too much longer.

Seeley's mind slipped back to the moment Bones stepped from the bathroom. His mind barely registered the fact that Bones wore nothing but a bath towel when a fist was closing in on his face. He caught David's hand before it connected, and the man ended up face down across the floor.

"I want you to listen to me loud and clear Davey Boy. Nothing happened between Bones and myself. If you continue to behave in this manner, then I'll be forced to leave you behind. I told her to invite you here so your plans wouldn't be ruined and I don't appreciate that you think I'd disregard my partner's feelings by doing something so underhanded. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Agent Booth," David gasped.

Temperance was the first to crack under the silence. Generally she didn't mind the quiet, but this was oppressive.

"You know," she said, "why don't we continue that game we played on the way down; that question game." Seeley looked at her and smiled.

"Sure, works for me."

"What question game?" David asked and looked at the two partners in the front seats.

"Oh, you ask a question and everyone answers, or you can address the question to just one person." Bones explained. David thought it over for a moment then gave a small nod of his head.

"I don't see why not."

"Great, let's start with something easy. What's your favorite fruit?" Seeley asked. His eyes flicked back to Brennan inviting her to answer first.

"Oh, that's easy. I love peaches."

"Just plain old apples for me." David answered.

"Mangos," Booth said, "Your question next Bones."

"What are you most proud of?"

"My current relationship." David said without hesitation. Booth frowned and Tempe smiled slightly.

"My son, Parker."

"My job."

"What is the worst thing you have ever witnessed?" David asked, but was unprepared for the sudden silence descending on the vehicle. He noticed Booth look at Temperance, but neither said a word. "Hey, I thought we were all supposed to answer this."

"Um, seeing Temperance bound and gagged in a warehouse." Booth said it quietly, the pain brought on by the memory surfacing in a flood. Tempe placed a hand on his forearm and squeezed gently. He offered her a tight smile but kept his eyes on the road.

"Seeley being blown up in my kitchen." her tone was equally quiet. David looked back and forth between them again. He felt like an ass, but was angry at the same time. He felt like he was intruding on their time instead of it being Booth intruding on his time with Tempe.

"Wow, my answer seems a little trite now, but I saw a terrorist shot in a mall once." Temperance's grip tightened on Seeley's arm. What was going on between the two of them?

Booth pulled off the main road as they reached the state park. The area was beautiful, mountains and greenery everywhere. Seeley flashed his badge to the ranger that greeted them and was pointed to the correct trail.

"We'll be starting out on the Frank Coggins trail, but the remains were found off of the Rim of the Gap, and it's a pretty strenuous hike, so I hope you're up for it." Booth said as he looked in the rearview mirror at David.

"Don't worry about me Agent Booth. I can handle anything you can dish out."

"Alright, if you say so." Booth climbed out of the SUV and made his way to the passenger door, but was beat there by David, who opened the door for Tempe. Booth glared at David for a moment before turning to head up the trail. Tempe looked from one man to the other and shook her head at the obvious posturing that was going on.

"What national monument or park have you always wanted to visit?" Tempe threw the question out there to get rid of some of the tension. Booth looked back and offered her a smile as they continued the hike.

"Niagara Falls," David answered first.

"I've always wanted to go to Yosemite National Park in California," Booth said. The surrounding countryside was quite beautiful, and he only hoped he could enjoy it on the hike up to the remains. He was a little surprised that the remains were still on-site, but if they were anything like the last set, they'd be difficult to reach.

"I've wanted to see Canyon de Chelley in Arizona. Ancient Pueblos fascinate me." Tempe took a deep breath and let it out with a smile.

"Alright, my turn again…Name one thing that is too serious to be joked about," Booth said.

"Missing Persons." Temperance said it quietly. She looked down at the ground in an attempt to hide the haziness that had come over her eyes.

"Fraud," David threw in. Booth let a wry smile fall onto his lips. Figures.

"Child abuse."

"Okay, I have a question. How much do marriage vows actually mean to you?" David asked. They stepped over some rocks on the way up the trail. Temperance stumbled forward, but Booth caught her before she could fall. She gave him a grateful smile before moving away. "I personally think marriage is only held by the mercy of a piece of paper. You don't need a paper to have a committed relationship."

"You know, anthropologically speaking, cultures have come up with marriage as a way to claim property. Men of the tribes would have the ceremony to announce their claim over a female. The marriage contract is just a modern extension of that," Brennan said. David offered her a smile for the agreement.

"It's more than that Bones. Vows are a commitment, whether you're religious or not. They are a commitment of two people promising to share their lives, to stand beside one another. A marriage license is like a contract. Sure, you can be in a committed relationship without it, but if there are problems, then nothing is in place to keep the relationship in tact. A marriage license forces the couple to work out their differences. There is no easy out."

"So you're saying that the only way to truly express your feelings to another person is to marry them? That makes no sense to me. You can be in a great relationship and not be married." David looked briefly at Booth before concentrating on the trail. It wound through a mountain pass and up towards the top of a cliff face.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. Let's say that you love someone so much that you can't ever imagine spending another day apart from them. Would you be content to just co-exist with them, or would you want the relationship to be more secure. Marriage provides that security, because you are legally bound to them. You belong to each other. There isn't that same feel without the paper. They could walk out and leave you and where would you be? Nowhere. There is nothing holding them there with you, nothing to force you to work through your issues. Think about what the vows ask of you. They ask that you stand by the person through all circumstances. You are committing yourself to them, to share in their joy and their problems."

"They also ask that you obey. Is that what you want Booth, a wife that obeys your every word?" Tempe looked at Booth, curious.

"When I get married, I would never ask that of my wife. I believe that we would cherish each other. Hell Bones, you don't even listen to me when I ask you to stay back for your own safety. If you don't listen to me in fieldwork, why would you listen inside a marriage?" Not for the first time on this trip, Brennan wondered about Booth's true feelings. Sure they were friends, but this was something entirely different.

"Agent Booth, did you just proposition my girlfriend?" David looked at Seeley with a raised eyebrow.

"What? No! I was just…all I meant was that…no, I wasn't." Booth inhaled deeply and let it out. He sped up a little on the trail, not wanting to think about what he had said. It wasn't like him to keep up with the Freudian slips, and if he could distance himself from Bones, then all the better for him in his current state of mind.

The three remained quiet for about half an hour, and it wasn't until after a slightly precarious cable-aided river crossing that they finally began to talk again.

"At what age did you have your first boyfriend or girlfriend?" Temperance looked between the two men and took in their incredulous expressions. "What? I'm including myself in that statement." She rolled her eyes at the obvious relief that came over them.

"I was seventeen," David began, a little uncertain that he was discussing this around his current girlfriend. "Leah Borden. She was the class president that year, and I couldn't believe she wanted to go out with me. Turns out she was only interested in my mathematics abilities."

"Tammy Jean. I was fifteen, and just started my sophomore year in high school. She grew up around me, and I must say that the summer between ninth grade and tenth grade had done some amazing things to the girl. We dated for three years until she left for school out of state."

"I was twenty three when I had what I consider my first boyfriend," Tempe said when her cheeks turned a bit pink.

"Michael Stires was your first?" Booth was a little incredulous. He never liked the guy, but this cemented the dislike even more.

"I didn't say he was my first. I said he was my first boyfriend."

"You mean to tell me that you had sex before being in any sort of meaningful relationship?"

"You say it like it's a bad thing Booth. I've said before that I've viewed sex as a recreational activity. Besides, I'd known the guy for five years, so it's not like it was a stranger or anything."

"Well then I'll throw it out there," David said. "How many partners have you had?" Booth looked at the man. How could David not be uncomfortable with this line of conversation?

"You know, this is wildly out of line, just so you know," Booth responded.

"You agreed to play Booth, you can't back out now." Temperance looked at her partner, her arms crossed. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Fine. Five. I've had five partners."

"Really? Only five?"

"Yes. I've only had sex inside of committed relationships. That doesn't mean I haven't, you know, had more experience or anything. I just equate it as an act to be shared between people that care about each other. I've never seen it as a 'recreational' activity."

"Wow Agent Booth, Temperance was right. You really are a stodgy traditionalist."

"Stodgy? I am not stodgy! What about you Mr. Investment Banker?"

"Well, having been in a fraternity in college…about forty."

"Um, about twenty? Something like that," Brennan added. Booth looked at her and shook his head. They reached the remains site and all remnants of the conversation died off. Booth approached the officer they were meeting, Lt. Odis Moses.

"Ah, I see you were finally able to make it Agent Booth." The man shook Booth's hand enthusiastically. "The remains were found down the side of the cliff face. None of my men are experienced enough to get to them."

"Well, that's why we have Dr. Brennan here." Booth indicated Temperance to the officer, who shook her hand.

"Dr. Brennan, your reputation precedes you. My men can help you with your equipment, and brief you on the remains." He smiled warmly at her as he indicated the harnesses and storage containers. She nodded and walked over to get prepared to descend to the remains. Booth and David watched her walk away before Booth turned his attention back to Lt. Moses.

"Who found the remains?" Booth asked as he pulled out a small notebook and pen.

"Pair of hikers, Maya and Peter Lupinetti. They were up here looking around when they noticed an odd smell. Well Peter come over to the edge of the cliff there and spotted the remains."

"Have any hikers gone missing?"

"I hadn't gotten any reports of it, but all hikers are required to check in, so I can have the records sent to you if you'd like."

"As soon as I have information on the time of death, as well as the age and sex, I'll get back to you." Booth nodded and returned his gaze to Brennan. Lt. Moses walked away to consult with one of his officers. Tempe looked up and smiled at the David and Booth before making her way back over. She had on a safety harness, but had no rope attached to it yet.

"Bones, you be careful. I don't want a repeat of last time." Booth smirked at her. She met his gaze and matched his expression.

"Well, provided it doesn't rain, I think I'll be fine. David, as soon as we get back into Greenville, I'm yours for the evening. This shouldn't take too long." She gave him a peck on the cheek before walking back to the cliff face. Tempe glanced once more at the two of them, hooked on the rope and dropped over the edge. Booth glanced at David, and then turned away.

"So five, huh?" David said it without looking at Booth.

"Yeah."

"Really?" Booth glanced at David.

"Yeah."

It took three hours for Brennan to resurface after an initial investigation of the remains and the careful packaging of the bones and soil samples. She approached Booth and was joined by Lt. Moses for the information.

"My preliminary investigation reveals that the remains are female, age around twenty five to thirty. Fractures in the tibias and fibulas as well as compaction of the spine indicate a fall."

"Was there damage to the hyoid?" Booth asked. She offered him a smile and a short nod.

"Yes, very good Booth, you're learning."

"I don't spend time around you for nothing Bones. So we're looking at roughly the same state as Callie Stevenson?"

"Yes. The pattern of damage is the same, and so far the victim profile is as well."

"A serial killer then. How long have the remains been here?"

"After a preliminary investigation, I'd say about two weeks. There appeared to be some damage due to scavengers, but everything else looks consistent for that timeline. I'll have a more definitive estimate after all of the samples are analyzed."

"Thanks Bones. Lt. Moses, do you think you could have the park send copies of all registrations for the last…month sent to my office?"

"Sure thing Agent Booth. And Dr. Brennan, it's a privilege to have met you."

"That's kind of you to say, thank you." She offered the man a smile before they moved away. David watched them carefully as they made their way back toward him. Their dynamic completely changed when they were working, and all evidence of tension or flirting seemed to disappear.

Booth looked up to see David watching them, and then stopped Bones as her boyfriend approached.

"Bones don't ever leave me alone with him again."

"Why?"

"Awkward silence." Booth walked away as David reached Temperance.

"What's wrong with him?" David asked before leading Temperance away from the scene and in pursuit of Booth.

"I don't know, something about awkward silence."

"Huh. I don't know what he means."

"Well, an awkward silence would indicate that something was said or done that made the situation uncomfortable." Temperance explained. Up ahead, Booth apparently heard her and had begun to laugh.

"I know what it means, Temperance. I just don't know what he meant by it."

They walked in silence for a while, just concentrating on the trail before them. Tempe felt the tension between the two men and didn't quite know what to do about it. It was a moment that she wished she had Angela with her to explain the undertones. Anthropologically, she knew what was going on, the male posturing going on between the two as they battled for dominance was obvious. Something had to break it soon, or the strain was going to kill her.

"Hey Booth…"

"If it deals in any way with sex, I don't want to answer it." He called over his shoulder, but finally slowed his fast pace.

"No, I was just going to…you know what, forget it."

"No, Bones, what were you going to ask?" All three were walking together again.

"Um, I was just going to ask you what sport you were most ignorant of. I thought maybe we could continue the game."

"Curling."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I know next to nothing about Curling. The sport makes absolutely no sense to me what so ever. David, who's your favorite superhero?"

"Flash Gordon."

"Oh, come on, you've got to be kidding me. You have to like someone better than Flash."

"No, actually, I don't. It's Flash Gordon all the way. Temperance, what is on your mind at this exact moment?"

"I need to get an oil change when we get back to DC."

"Huh?"

"You asked me what it was I was thinking right now and I told you."

"How in the world did you come to that particular thought?" David was dumbfounded. Booth let out a snort of laughter, which earned him a glare from Temperance. Here we go.

"Well, you mentioned that your favorite super hero was called Flash Gordon, and I don't know who that is, but he sounds fast. That led me to think about the fact that I have a speeding ticket that still needs to be taken care of via traffic school, and then I thought that we have to go to traffic school even though it in no way changes the way that we drive, because you can't unlearn a habit in eight hours. It is a combination of what we were taught when we first learned to drive along with habits picked up since then that have shaped our driving ability, and I happen to like to drive fast, so I got my speeding ticket. I probably wouldn't have driven so fast if I didn't have a sports car, and thinking about my car reminded me that I need to get my oil changed."

"Oh, well, I guess that explains it." David looked confused, still not able to comprehend the whole thought process. "Um…Agent Booth, what is your favorite movie quote?"

"Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greens keeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac...It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!"

"Caddy Shack," Brennan smiled. "I love that movie."

"Bones, I'm shocked. I didn't think you'd have seen it."

"Russ loves it. He used to watch it over and over on video when we were growing up." She smiled softly in memory. David looked from one to the other.

"Who's Russ?"

"Bones' brother. You didn't know she had a brother?"

"No. It seems she forgot to mention him."

XxXxX

"I am not trying to keep my life a secret from you David!" Temperance yelled at him from across their hotel room at the Westin Poinsett Hotel.

"And yet Booth knows all about your family. What else aren't you telling me Temperance?"

"Why should my family matter? You haven't shared any of that information with me either."

"You want the information you could have asked."

"Same here. You've taken no interest in the information. Why should I invest in letting you in if you won't do the same thing?"

"But you let Booth know. He seems to know a lot more about you than I do, and he's only a work associate."

"He's my partner David."

"Apparently in more ways than one." Temperance stormed across the room and slapped David. His own hand flew up and grabbed hold of her wrist. She flicked her gaze from his face, to his hand, then back again.

"I told you once before that nothing has happened between Booth and myself, and as I recall, I also said that I wouldn't stand for anymore baseless accusations."

"Are they baseless Temperance? Do you think I'm so stupid as to not notice the way you interact with Booth? I don't like being lied to." His grip tightened. Temperance tried to pull away from him, but he only pulled her in close to him.

"Let go of my wrist, now."

"Did you sleep with him last night?"

"We shared the bed, yes." She winced as he twisted a little harder, but never took her eyes off of him. Anger flashed in his eyes and his nostrils flared.

"Did you have sex with him Temperance?"

"No." She brought up a knee into his groin. The sudden pain caused him to release her wrist as he doubled over on the floor. "And maybe I should have, because he's a lot more man than you ever will be. I don't ever want to see or hear from you again David. You obviously have a lot of issues to work through and I'm not the one who's going to stay by your side while you deal. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pack my bags, then I'm leaving." Temperance turned from him, strode to the dresser and pulled out her clothes, not once sparing a look for the man crumpled on the ground behind her.

A/N: Okay, everybody say it with me…Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye.


	5. Chapter 5 Stay the Weekend

A/N: Again, thanks to Wolfy, who helped me with the phone conversation with Angela, and to Jaed, I'm gonna end up with that t-shirt, just so you know.

Booth lay on the bed in his motel room and flicked mindlessly through the channels on the television. He was trying not to let his mind wander to the fact that Bones was now sharing a hotel room with her boyfriend. The thought of David made his skin crawl more than he would like to admit. He just didn't like the guy.

The knock on his door startled him. He certainly wasn't expecting anyone, especially at the late hour. He climbed off the bed and made his way to the door, and then opened it.

"Bones, what are you doing here?" He took in her disgruntled expression and the suitcase in her hand. His heart beat a little faster.

"Do you mind if I stay here with you tonight?"

"Of course not," he said as he moved from the doorway to allow her into the room. His gaze swept over her before settling on the bruising at her wrist. "Bones, what happened to your wrist?"

"It's nothing Booth."

"Did David do that?" His hands clenched tightly at his sides. Bones set down her suitcase and looked at him, her arms crossed in front of her.

"The situation's taken care of, so I would expect you to not 'handle' it, okay?"

"Bones, what happened?"

"Let's just put it at David and I are through. I have no desire to ever see him again." She moved to the bed, sat down and began to play with a piece of frayed material. Booth moved across the distance and crouched before her. With one hand, he slowly raised her chin until she was looking him in the eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Booth, when we were trapped in that rainstorm, did you want to kiss me?"

"What?"

"I got the distinct impression that you wanted to kiss me, but you didn't." Temperance held Seeley's gaze. She could see his mind was working over something, but didn't know what it was.

"Did you want me to?" He moved in toward her a little, his eyes never leaving hers. Brennan felt herself growing warm under the intense look and found that her voice had failed her. She could only manage a barely perceptible nod. A slow smile slid onto Seeley's face as he closed the distance between them a little more. Brennan closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her throat. She could feel his breath like a warm caress on her cheek a moment before his lips captured hers. She inhaled sharply and wrapped her arms around his neck as his entangled themselves into her hair. Tempe's heart pounded harder as the kiss deepened. She felt one of Booth's hands shift from her hair to her neck as it made a light trail down her side, leaving the skin on fire. Brennan pulled away first, panting. She looked into Seeley's eyes and saw that they were as glazed as she felt.

"Perfect." She whispered the word, but to Booth, it sounded like a shout. His face split in two with a grin.

"Damn, I'm good." He laughed when she hit his arm playfully. "Seriously though, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Booth. It's been going downhill for at least a month, so it doesn't surprise me that it's over."

"Look, Bones, I hope I didn't have…no, I can't actually say that. Was this breakup in any way connected to me?"

"Yes, and no. He's been jealous of our relationship for quite some time, and after he accused me of sleeping with you for the second time, I've had enough." She shrugged, and then looked away from Booth.

"Well I'd be lying if I said I'm sorry. I hope you aren't hurt." Booth's eyes were filled with worry and compassion for his partner. She met his gaze, and offered a soft smile.

"So what does this mean for us?" Temperance asked quietly. Seeley caressed her face with his hand.

"What do you want it to mean Temperance? Do you want to try a relationship?"

"I'm worried about how this could affect our work relationship, you know, there are so many strings…"

"How about this, we make no decision until this weekend is over. We concentrate on the case, then talk it over on the way back to DC."

"I think that could work." She smiled at him, and then accepted another kiss.

"So," Seeley said, rubbing his hands together, "what should we do this evening?"

"Well, I'm not exactly up to going out tonight, so how about room service and a movie?"

"Fine, but we're going to start you off with the classics. I think I saw that 'It Happened One Night' is on, so we'll start with that. I think you'll like it Bones. In the mean time, are you opposed to pizza?"

"Pizza sounds great."

Tempe lay asleep on the bed, curled up next to Booth. He looked down at his sleeping partner and smiled. She had really enjoyed the movie, and even laughed when she realized it was where his idea for the Walls of Jericho had come from. With a gentle kiss to her forehead, Seeley extracted himself from her grip and made his way to the desk in the room. He quickly wrote a note and left it on his pillow before grabbing the keys to his car. He had some business to take care of, and if Temperance was awake, he wouldn't be able to get it done.

XxXxX

David paced around his hotel room, fuming. Once again, Special Agent Seeley Booth was the cause of problems in his life. Temperance Brennan was perfect for him, and her interactions with the agent had ruined a perfectly good relationship. What was it that drew her to him? The man was bullying, sarcastic and cocky to boot. He wasn't in any way a match to Temperance intellectually. What was the appeal? A knock on his door brought him back to reality and he crossed the room, hoping that Temperance had calmed down enough to talk things over.

"Temperance, I'm glad you've calmed down enough to talk about this…" David began as he opened the door to the hotel room. What he didn't expect was the fist of Seeley Booth to connect to his face, knocking him to the ground.

"I saw the bruise you gave her, David, and you're lucky that's the only mark she had. If you so much as come near her again, I won't hesitate to hurt you, do you understand?"

"Yes, Agent Booth," David said as he regained his feet. A bruise was already beginning to form around his eye. Booth looked at the man in disgust.

"Good." Booth turned to head back down the hallway, but stopped when he heard the investment banker mutter something.

"Shame you're only after her to be sexually gratified." David should have been prepared to see the fist coming a second time, but wasn't. With satisfaction, Booth watched David slide to the floor, holding his face.

"Maybe next time you won't be so quick to jump to conclusions." With that, he shut the door to the room and strode away. Maybe it wasn't the wisest of decisions, but it felt damn good.

XxXxX

Morning found Temperance wrapped around Booth and sleeping contentedly. The special agent woke up to the sound of Brennan's phone going off.

"Bones, your phone." He shook her a little. She shifted in her sleep, but didn't wake up. With a sigh, her reached over her and picked up the phone. Before he could even get out a greeting he heard the last person he would have wanted calling.

"Sweetie, how's your stage four trip with David going? You know, sexy weekend away? Is he just exhausting you?"

"Stage four's been cancelled." Booth said into the phone, but dropped it in surprise at the shriek that issued from the other end of the line. Temperance's eyes flew open at the sound and she sat up, momentarily panicked. Her eyes wept around, taking in the phone on the bed, and Booth's surprised but sheepish look. She rolled her eyes and picked up the phone.

"Oh. My. God! Booth, you're sleeping with Bren! I so knew you were at stage two."

"Angela, I've told you before, I know the stages to everything, and there are no relationship stages." Temperance ran a hand over her face in an attempt to wake up a little more.

"Okay, so what's going on? Why aren't you in New York with David, and why did Booth answer your phone? Are you two sleeping together?"

"Define sleeping together."

"Are you having sex?"

"No. Booth had another case come up and needed me to examine some remains."

"And the only thing to come up was another case?"

"Ange!"

"Well, sorry Sweetie," Angela said. "But last I heard you were supposed to be in New York with David. And so I call like a good friend to see how things are going and who answers your phone but that gorgeous G-Man of yours. And what does he say? That stage four has been cancelled." Brennan could almost hear Angela smile. "So tell me, just why has stage four been cancelled?"

Brennan looked at Booth who sat, grinning at her. She put her hand over the receiver and said, "Would you go take a shower so I can talk in private?"

"And what can you say that you can't say in front of me?" Booth teased, but the glare Brennan gave him had him standing up. "Okay," he conceded. "I'll go take a shower." Brennan watched Booth gather up some clothes and then head to the bathroom. When the door was firmly shut, she turned her attention back to the phone.

"David accused me for the second time of having sex with Booth, so I left him."

"So you went to New York, broke up with David and then met up with Booth?" Angela asked, clearly confused.

"No. Booth found me in North Carolina, talked me into joining him in South Carolina, and so I wouldn't have to cancel my plans with David, invited him down as well."

"You didn't share a hotel room did you?"

"Didn't share a hotel room with who?"

"David and Booth, because that's just getting a little too kinky for me, Sweetie."

"A threesome is too kinky for you?" Brennan asked. "I would have thought you would be congratulating me." When she was met with uncharacteristic silence, Brennan began to laugh. "Of course we _all_ didn't share a room." Angela breathed out a sigh of relief.

"I'm so glad to hear that. And I didn't say a threesome was too kinky...just the thought of you, Booth and David. Excuse me while I gag. Okay, so you left David, does that meant you're through, for good?"

"Yes, Angela."

"Good, because if he had stopped by the lab one more time, Jack was going to attach a 'kick me' sign to his back."

"Isn't that a bit childish?"

"Sweetie, we're talking about Hodgins. Anyway, about Booth…what's going on between the two of you, really?"

"At the moment, nothing."

"I'm telling you this as a friend, and with all the love I can muster in a non-lesbian way. You need to ride that stallion and take advantage what I'm sure is extensive knowledge."

"He's only had five partners, Ange." Brennan closed her eyes. She hadn't meant to let that slip. Angela's silence on the subject piqued Tempe's curiosity. "Hello, are you still there?"

"Bren, you hold onto that man, because when he gets involved, he plays for keeps."

"Plays for keeps?" Tempe frowned into the phone. She was so absorbed in the conversation, that she didn't hear Seeley leave the bathroom. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed as he watched her.

"Yes. He won't get involved unless he cares deeply for the person, unless he expects a future. That man loves you Bren, and I hope you feel the same way."

"I don't know what love feels like Ange. Booth said it was changing priorities to accommodate someone else, and if it is, then I suppose I do love him. I'm' just scared that getting involved with him will ruin our professional relationship."

"Sweetie, he's worth the risk. Don't think, don't analyze, just go for it. You deserve to be happy. Now, before I go, what other wonderful tidbits did you learn about that hunk?"

"Angela!"

"Okay, okay. I'll talk to you later. Call me if anything interesting happens." With that, Angela hung up. Tempe closed her phone and leaned back onto the headboard. She turned, startled to realize that Booth was watching her.

"The bathroom's all yours." He offered her a small smile, which she returned. Tempe picked up some clothes and moved toward the bathroom. Before she entered, Booth stopped her by placing a hand on her arm. "Temperance, it's okay to be scared or confused. Just please talk to me, and I promise I won't hide anything from you either."

"I promise." She leaned up to him and gave him a kiss on the lips before disappearing into the bathroom.

XxXxX

Brennan stood next to the examination table as she looked over the remains of the victim. Booth stood in a corner of the room, watching her work. Tempe could feel his eyes on her, and for the first time, it was a distraction. After trying unsuccessfully to examine the left tibia, she set the bone down and turned to Booth.

"Could you please stop staring at me?"

"I wasn't staring at you," he said. She looked at him with an arched brow as he turned away. This was going to be too much. If this was how a relationship with Booth was going to make her feel, then it shouldn't happen. She turned back to her work, picking up the same tibia, well aware the though he had diverted his gaze for a moment, he was watching her again. She turned her gaze on him one more time.

"Booth, I can't concentrate if you keep staring at me. Go get a cup of coffee or something so I can do my job." She watched a grin spread over his features as he moved in closer to her.

"Are you saying I'm a distraction?" Booth stood close enough to Temperance for her to feel heat emanating from his body. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking at him once again.

"Booth, that whole dating thing we're considering?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not helping your case any. Now, could you please not stare at me so I can look over these remains?" Their eyes locked, and he could see that she was borderline serious. The thought of losing something he wanted so badly without getting through an attempt made him back down.

"I'm gonna get a cup of coffee, you want anything?" Temperance smiled at Booth, then again returned to the remains.

"No thanks, I'm fine." As he walked away to get coffee, He slid his hand down Brennan's back and offered her a smile. She shivered a little at the touch. With the watchful eyes of Booth off of her, she was able to focus much more on her work. She began a running monologue on paper as she noted damage to the bones. The feet have sustained injury consistent with dancing, most likely ballet. She had an old fracture, long since healed over on her clavicle, indicating a break around the age of ten. Damage to her pelvis showing her to have given birth at least once.

Brennan snapped off her gloves and sat down. Booth sat down next to her as he re-entered the room.

"Find out anything interesting?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I work much better with you out of the room." She offered him a smile and leaned back a little in her seat.

"Other than that?"

"Same estimate for age as before. She is between the ages of twenty-five and thirty; has damage from a fall, but she was a dancer, and around the age of ten broke her clavicle. She also had a child."

"I'll call headquarters and have them do a search of missing persons. Do you need anymore access to the remains?"

"No. I'm going to have them shipped to the Jeffersonian along with the soil samples and see what else we can glean off of them. The M.O. is the same for Callie Stevenson, so I'll have Zach and Hodgins go over the remains again and see if we can find anything that will definitively link the two sets of remains."

"See, and this is why I love you." It was out before he could stop it. _Damn it._

"What?"

"What, what?"

"Booth, did you just say…"

"Are you ready to go? We need to interview the Lupinetti's."

"Don't change the subject Booth."

"I'm not. We were discussing the case. Now come on, they don't live very far from here." Booth stood and was out of the examination room before Temperance could question him further.

The drive to the Lupinetti's didn't take long, and no matter how many times Brennan brought up her curiosity with his slipped statement, he found a way to evade it. Finally, she gave up. The house was modest, but homey, and fit in well on the tree-lined street. After bringing the car to a stop, Booth and Tempe got out and headed for the front door. They knocked and waited for someone to answer.

"Can I help you?" A young woman answered the door, looking from Booth to Tempe and back again.

"Maya Lupinetti? I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, and this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. I understand you and your husband found some remains in Caesar's Head State Park."

"Yeah, we did. Did you have some questions?"

"Yes we did, Mrs. Lupinetti. Do you mind if we come in?"

"No, of course." She moved from the doorway to allow the pair in.

"Hey, Baby, pick a number between one and nine." Maya's husband yelled from the other room.

"Seven!" She yelled back then turned back to the pair. "Sorry, he's just playing on his play station 2." Maya led Seeley and Tempe into the family room where her husband was engaged in the game, not noticing them at first.

"Peter, we've got company," she said. He turned and noticed the pair. With an apologetic smile, he paused the game and set down the controller.

"Sorry 'bout that. When you beat a level, you pick a number and can get some cool stuff for the game." Peter stood until Tempe and his wife sat down. "Now, what can we do for you?"

"I understand you were the one who discovered the remains in Caesar's Head. Care to tell me what happened?" Booth asked as he pulled out a notepad and pen.

"We were hiking up the rim of the gap and Maya here smelled something funny. I had a cold, couldn't smell worth a damn, but I helped her try to track down where the smell came from anyway. We looked around for about fifteen minutes, and then checked over the edge of the cliff. That's when I saw them. Never saw anything like that in my life." He shuddered a little.

"I couldn't believe it, you know, those body parts out there. Well Peter decides to go down and lead a ranger up so the police can be called. I wasn't too keen on being up there on my own, but he didn't want us to lose the spot, so I stayed. Felt like I was being watched the entire time." Maya rubbed goose bumps off of her arms.

"Did you happen to see any unusual activity while you were up there?"

"No, other than that feeling of being watched, there wasn't anything wrong up there. It's just a beautiful spot."

"Well, thank you for your time. If you remember anything else, please give me a call." Booth hands his card over to Maya and stands along with Brennan. Maya looked at the card briefly before meeting the gazes of the partners.

"Will do. I hope you find out what happened to whoever that was."

"Thank you. We do too," Temperance said as they left the house.

XxXxX

"Okay, ask another one." Seeley laughed as she threw a small piece of popcorn at him. They sat, cross-legged on the hotel bed, television on AMC. A classic movie, 'The Quiet Man' was on the television, but neither paid attention as they continued the game of loaded questions.

"What is the biggest inconvenience about the place you are currently living in?" Tempe asked before popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

"It's too dark. The rooms are arranged in such a way that the light doesn't distribute itself evenly, so it's kinda dark." He snatched the deck of game cards from her and pulled one out. After looking over the questions, he grinned. "What muscle would you flex if you wanted to intimidate someone?"

"I don't need to flex anything to be intimidating."

"I hate to tell you this Bones, but you aren't really intimidating." Booth laughed when she glared at him. "I guess that would be your facial muscles." She reached out to smack his arm, but he caught her hand and flipped in such a way that he was laying over her. When she stopped struggling, she noticed his proximity a little more. His eyes flashed intensely, and he wore a predatory grin on his face. Tempe's heart pounded a little as their eyes locked.

"Let me ask you a question Seeley." Booth's expression turned more serious as his full attention was focused on her. "What is the most important thing to you in a relationship?"

"Trust, Temperance, is the most important thing to me in the world, whether intertwined with love or not." He looked down at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking when she raised her head and captured his lips with hers. Booth was caught off guard, but it was only momentary as he deepened the unexpected gesture. His mind reeled at the kiss, at the gentle and yet incredibly intense experience. The last coherent thought he had was one word; perfect.


	6. Chapter 6 Exchange Keys

As Brennan stepped into the medico-legal lab, she heard a high-pitched noise that could only mean one thing…Angela. _Oh great, here it comes._

"So, did you sleep with him?"

"Ange!"

"What?" Angela looked over her shoulder for a second before turning back to Brennan. "Are you worried about them hearing? Don't bother, I already gave them the good news."

"What's there to tell? We haven't even dated yet! I left David and stayed with Booth, and that's all."

"Sure Sweetie," Angela patted Tempe's hand. "You keep telling yourself that. So, is he a good kisser?" Tempe tried to glare at her best friend, but her facial muscles seemed to have a mind of their own as they bowed her mouth into a smile.

"Perfect." Angela let out another squeal. Temperance clamped her hand down onto her friend's mouth and dragged Angela into her office.

"I so knew he would be a good kisser! What else did you to do while there?"

"We worked Ange, that's it."

"You mean to tell me that now you're available, and you spent the entire weekend with that Hottie FBI agent and all you did was kiss him?"

"Yes, Angela. That's it." Brennan paused for a moment. "I think he said he loved me."

"And did you say it back?" Angela turned more serious. She looked intently at her friend.

"No. When I asked what he said, he changed the subject."

"Sweetie, did you want to say it back?" Brennan looked at Angela. Did she want to say it back?

"I don't know." Angela gently led Temperance to the couch and both sat down. Tempe ran a hand over her face before looking at her best friend.

"You know, I watched this show once on…you know what, it's best I don't go there. Anyway, they had an anthropologist on that studied love. She said there was a simple way to tell if you were in love with someone."

"Ange, are you going to try to use science against me?"

"Of course not. Sweetie. Just bear with me okay?"

"Fine," Temperance sighed. She was interested in seeing where Angela would go with this.

"We're going to talk about Booth here. Objectively, how would you describe him?"

"Objectively? He's tall, takes care of himself, and dresses well. He's handsome…" Temperance smiled as she thought of his smile and the way it brightened his eyes. "He has the most expressive eyes I've ever seen. You know that expression; the eyes are the windows to the soul? I think it's true in his case. You can tell what he's thinking by his eyes. You can see his compassion, his strength, his…love there." Temperance trailed off on the thought. That's what was there, love. It was there overwhelmingly, but she had never noticed before. No, she had noticed, but hadn't been able to put a label to the emotion.

"And how often do you think of him? Don't lie, Bren, because I'll know it if you're lying."

"As of late, he's been causing me distractions in a work environment. I had to make him leave the room when I was looking over the remains of our latest victim." Angela smirked at Brennan's answer. _Let's see, mood change? Check. Can't get him off of her mind? Check. Would she be willing to die for him?_

"And would you die for him? Would you risk your life to save his?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Sweetie, you're in love! You are head over heels in love with Seeley Booth! I knew it."

"Angela, please, I don't want to do this right now," Brennan sighed. "Let's just get back to work. I'm expecting those remains from South Carolina to arrive soon."

"They've already shown up, Bren." Bones looked at Angela and left her office, heading for the examination platform. Zach looked up at Brennan when she reached the remains, as did Hodgins.

"So, is it true? You and Booth are knocking boots?" Hodgins grinned. Tempe looked up at him sharply, a glare on her visage. Hodgins looked at her for a moment, and turned back to his microscope. She was quickly developing a headache over the issue thanks to Angela.

About two hours later, Booth showed up, scanning himself onto the platform. He stepped up behind Bones, placed his hand on the small of her back, and then leaned down to look at the remains.

"This our vic?" Brennan looked over her shoulder at Booth, his face just inches from hers. He offered her a slow smile and watched as her cheeks flushed.

"You know, I really shouldn't have told you…about the smile thing," she said as she offered one of her own. "Yes, this is the newest victim. I need to get the bones cleaned, then I can have Angela reconstruct the face for you."

"Just call me when you have any information." Booth moved away from Brennan and leaned back on a railing. Brennan turned to face him, snapped off her latex gloves, and placed her hand lightly on his forearm.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah. I finally found the whereabouts of Callie Stevenson's friends, the ones she went on the climbing trip with. Anyway, they go to school here in DC, but they live in Chicago during the summer and winter breaks."

"How long will you be away?"

"What, you miss me already? I'll be out of town for two days. I need a favor though."

"Anything."

"Parker insisted on getting a dog. Rebecca was nice enough to look in on him while we were in South Carolina, but I need someone to make sure he's behaving himself while I'm gone." Booth pulled a spare key from his pocket and handed it to Brennan. He rolled his eyes skyward for a moment at Angela's squeal.

"Sure, I can do that. What's the dog's name?"

"Fang." Brennan arched an eyebrow, and nodded in amusement. Seeley flashed her another smile and pushed away from the railing "I've got to go, but we can discuss the other thing when I get back."

"Sweetie, if you're going to discuss a date, then just say the word." Angela approached the pair. Her eyes flicked to their hands. Neither had noticed that they were standing, fingers entwined.

"Angela…" Booth began, but the artist cut him off.

"You've just spent the weekend together in South Carolina, I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be afraid of the word 'date'."

"She's right Booth. Besides, she did catch us together." Brennan smiled at her partner. He shook his head in amusement.

"Fine. We'll talk about that date when I get back." Booth leaned down to kiss Temperance, but on seeing Angela preparing to squeal again, diverted his path and kissed Tempe's cheek instead. At the look of disappointment on both women's face, Booth laughed and walked away.

"Oh, you two are so moving fast. Already at Stage Three and you haven't even been on a date."

"Stage three? Refresh my memory."

"You know, exchange keys."

"Ange, I'm pretty sure that him giving me his key to watch his dog doesn't qualify as stage three."

"He has a dog?"

"Apparently." Brennan turned from her friend and put on some gloves before returning to the remains.

"Well, do you want me to help you pack for the 'dog sitting'?"

"I'm only going to stop by and make sure the thing is fed."

"No Sweetie, you need to do more than that. You're going to stay at Booth's place and watch that little ankle biter."

"With a name like Fang, I hardly think the dog is little."

"Fang. How cute."

XxXxX

Brennan huffed, frustrated as she sat on her bed. Angela was going through her drawers, looking for clothes to pack for a few days at Booth's. Clothes were strewn all over the floor, with more cascading there by the second.

"You have to have something he'll love."

"Ange, I'm pretty sure that the dog really won't care what I have on."

"It's not the dog I'm concerned about. Ha! I knew they were still here!" Angela pulled a pair of small cotton shorts, black in color with a word emblazoned on the back.

"Angela, I am not going to wear those." Brennan was horrified. She had to borrow them from Angela when she spilled wine on a pair of pants one night. "Just take them back."

"Oh no, they're yours."

"No! I certainly never wear them, and I don't find myself 'Juicy'."

"But Booth will."

XxXxX

Booth reached his motel, glad to finally be able to lie down for a little while. He had three people to track down in order to find out more about Callie Stevenson. The fact that her mother knew so little about her disturbed him. Of course, Callie might have been ashamed of her career choice, but the knowledge that her mother didn't know she was a rock climber…something didn't fit here, and he needed to discover what that was.

XxXxX

Temperance stepped up to Booth's doorstep with a little bit of trepidation. He hadn't said anything other than Parker insisted they get a dog. Was it a big dog? Was it a puppy, or fully-grown? What if it thought she was breaking into his house and tried to attack her? _This is ridiculous. Booth wouldn't get a dangerous dog for Parker. I'm sure everything is fine._ Brennan took a deep breath and entered the apartment. Everything was quiet.

"Fang? Here boy." Temperance let her gaze sweep around the apartment. The last time she was there, Tessa had emerged from his bedroom wearing nothing but one of his dress shirts. She heard the slight sound of nails clicking on the wood floor and turned to face the dog named Fang. The sight of a rat running across the floor startled her and she scrambled backwards and onto a couch. Then, the rat barked. _Wait, rats don't bark._ The little dog that stood there looked at her curiously. It had to be the smallest thing she had ever seen, maybe three pounds total. "Fang?" The little dog wagged its tail.

Brennan climbed off of the couch, approached the miniscule dog and held out a tentative hand. Fang sniffed her hand, and then gave her fingers a tiny lick. Brennan smiled down at the Chihuahua.

"Well, aren't you just the sweetest little thing."

XxXxX

Morning found Booth in a residential section of Chicago land. He stood outside of a small two-story house, double-checking to make sure he was at the correct address. Satisfied, he made his way to the door. A slightly balding man of about thirty answered his knock moments later. The man stood at about six feet tall, and had permanent five o'clock shadow.

"Erick Peisker?" Booth looked at him and waited for an answer.

"Whatever it is you're touting, I don't want to be a part of it."

"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI. I have a few questions in regards to the disappearance of Callie Stevenson."

"Oh, of course. Come in." Erick moved out of the way to allow Booth inside. He followed the man inside and looked around. The place was filled with birch and stainless steel furniture. Erick indicated a spot on a couch that was covered with a shag rug type material. "Now, what are these questions of yours?"

"You were the one who reported Callie missing, correct?"

"Yes. She was supposed to arrive shortly after me, but when a day had passed and she hadn't shown up, I got worried."

"How long have you known her?"

"About three years. We go to college together and have some of the same classes."

"What did Callie do as far as work was concerned."

"She was an exotic dancer, but she also worked at the school library. Didn't want her parents to know what she did for a living. If you had a daughter, would you want to know that she was a stripper?"

"And what about the fact that her mother said she didn't rock climb?"

"She didn't. We went on a camping trip. Just because most people go to that particular state park to climb up the side of a cliff doesn't mean that everyone does, Agent Booth."

"Did you happen to see anyone suspicious around? Was anyone taking an unnatural interest in Callie?"

"Yeah, there was one guy…Jeff something or other. Didn't really pay too much attention. Callie seemed to know him, but I'd never seen him before."

"Alright, well, thank you for your time Mr. Peisker. If you can think of anything else that might be important, please give me a call." Booth handed a business card to Erick and stood.

"Agent Booth, do you have any word about Callie?"

"Her remains were found about halfway down a cliff face. I'm sorry." Booth looked at the man and noticed the sadness and grief that washed over his features. Erick nodded, trying to hold back the tears. Booth left and crossed Erick's name off his list to interview. He still had two more to go.

XxXxX

Brennan showed up to the lab late. Angela was on the lookout for her best friend. The bones of their second victim had been cleaned, and Angela was well on her way to finishing her tissue depth markers. As Temperance tried to make her way to her office, undetected, three heads popped into view from the examination platform, like prairie dogs in the plains of Nebraska.

"So, Sweetie, how was your foray into dog sitting."

"It was fine. Do we have any new information on our victim?" Brennan turned to face her colleagues, keeping her bag out of view.

"Same as with Callie Stevenson, no particulate evidence to indicate that she tried to prevent a fall. I did however find fibers that did not belong to the victim. I sent them out for analysis and should have the report within the hour," Hodgins informed her. Angela, in the meantime was examining Brennan's odd behavior curiously.

"Bren, what's in your bag?"

"Nothing's in my bag."

"Uh-huh, and that would be why you're hiding it behind your back. Something's there that you don't want me to find."

"That's not true. There's nothing of interest at all in my purse." She didn't see Dr. Goodman walk up behind her. He looked curiously at her bag, eyebrows knit together.

"Dr. Brennan, is there any particular reason you have a Chihuahua in your purse?"

"Bren, please tell me you aren't going all Paris Hilton on me."

"I don't know what that means." Angela bounded down from the platform and gently snatched away Brennan's purse. She looked at it and grinned wickedly. "Is this cute little ball of fur, Fang?"

"I couldn't very well leave him alone. I don't know what time I'll be leaving here! I don't want him to be by himself all day." The little dog licked the end of Angela's nose.

"And I can see why. He's adorable. What a wittel cutie! Aren't you!" Angela cooed at the dog.

"Ladies, may I remind you that this is still a work environment. I expect that the dog will not cause any problems here." Goodman glared at Temperance, who only nodded in response.

XxXxX

Tempe stepped out of the shower and into her pajamas. It had been a long day at the lab, but with Angela's swift work, they managed to get an identification on the victim…Shelby Grayson. Brennan tried to get hold of Booth, but his phone kept sending her to his voice mail.

Now that she had the opportunity to relax, she was going to take full advantage of it. Brennan stepped into Booth's living room and looked over his music collection. It was much more diverse than she would have thought, and she quickly settled on Santana. Brennan turned up the volume on the stereo so it was blasting, the bass pounding through her body. She picked up Fang and began dancing to the Latin Beat.

Booth heard the stereo long before he got to his apartment. _What's going on in there? Did the dog throw a party?_ He put his key in the lock and turned it. He eased the door open, but shouldn't have been concerned about being heard. There was no way he would be heard over the volume of the music. The sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks, however. He saw a pair of long, slim legs disappearing into shorts emblazoned with the word 'Juicy'. Next, he saw Brennan straighten up to her full height as she gyrated to the beat of the music. She held something in her hands.

With a smirk, Booth snuck up behind Temperance. Slowly, he slid his arm around her waist. That was a mistake. He wasn't quick enough to avoid the elbow to his stomach, but avoided further damage by backing away quickly. Fang began to bark at Booth as Temperance whirled around, ready to face her attacker. When she saw Seeley almost doubled over, she dropped her stance and set the dog down.

"Oh, Booth, I'm sorry. You shouldn't sneak up on me like that." She reached out to examine the injured area. Booth relished the feel of her hands on his skin, but still pouted from being hit so hard. "What're you doing back so soon? You said you'd be gone two days."

"The interviews took a lot less time than I thought. Besides, if I stayed away, I wouldn't have seen you looking so 'juicy'." Booth pulled Brennan into his arms, despite her weak protest and began to dance with her.

"I am not juicy!"

"I beg to differ there, Bones. You are indeed very…juicy." He leaned in for a kiss, and unlike the morning before, he didn't need to divert course to her cheek. Brennan met him halfway, her lips latching onto his, and her hands winding around his neck. On the ground, Fang began to growl at Booth, and grabbed hold of the agent's pant leg.

Booth maneuvered through the living room as his hands slid under the silky camisole. He groaned as Temperance caught his bottom lip in her teeth, and sucked on it. He felt her grab the hem of his t-shirt and tug it towards his head. They separated for the briefest of moments as Temperance slid the shirt off Booth's body. With a crash, she was against the wall, and her lips sought out Seeley's again.

Booth caressed her sides, leaving little heat trails in his wake. She gasped a little, arching toward him. Fang let go of Booth's pants leg and barked at him. The barking turned into a growl. As Tempe's hands slid down his torso, Booth became aware of a warm, wet sensation on his leg and sock. He looked down just as the Chihuahua lowered his leg.

"God Damn it!" Booth pulled away from Temperance and looked at his jeans. A distinct wet spot was at the bottom of the leg and on his shoe as well. Temperance looked and began to laugh.

"Perhaps you should get cleaned up." She said between gasps. Seeley glared at her briefly, and then at the dog.

"Yeah, I suppose I'd better." With that, he left Temperance alone in the living room to her laughter.


	7. Chapter 7a Galveston and Pole Dancing

A/N: thank you to Siapom for help with the end of this chapter. I couldn't have written it without you. Thanks to Wolfy just because. I miss our long conversations online. To Jaed, I'm waiting for the fruit throwing, you'll find out why…and BonesDBchippie, I look forward to what I know will be a great review.

With that…enjoy, everyone and please take a look at both Piercing the Stillness and Bali if you haven't had the chance. They are great pieces. I take pride in the work Siapom and I are doing on the piece. Also, if you haven't read ANTS, Fruit Juice (rated M), and When Real Life Intrudes on Fiction, you don't know what you're missing.

XxXxX

"Fang did what?" Angela began to laugh. Tempe tried to look stern, but didn't manage it as she also began to laugh. "Oh, Sweetie, that just means when you two get together it'll have to be at your place."

"Ange!"

"What? It's true. Do you think that little dog will allow Booth to touch you? No."

"No to what?" Temperance and Angela looked up at the doorway. Booth stood there, file in hand, and a smile on his face. Angela burst into another fit of laughter and left the office. Booth looked at Temperance suspiciously. "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Brennan lied. "What have you got for me?" She got up and walked over to him to examine the paperwork. As he opened the file, he wrapped his arms around her so her back was to his front. He looked over her shoulder as he pointed out information.

"Shelby Grayson was reported missing three weeks ago by her parents. She left for a camping trip with friends and never returned."

"Does that mean another trip to South Carolina?" Temperance turned her head to look at Booth, their faces only inches apart.

"No, Texas. I didn't want you to leave last night."

"I know, but it was probably for the best."

"Oh really, and why is that?" Booth moved in closer, their lips only millimeters apart.

"I don't think Fang would have approved." She grinned wickedly and ducked under his arms. He groaned and closed the file.

"Come on, Bones, we've got a strip club to visit."

"Callie Stevenson's employer?"

"Yes. It's the last place I need to visit on her case. If we're lucky, someone there might know more about the mysterious Jeff."

XxXxX

"Mr. Oldham, I called you earlier. I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, and this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. I'd like to ask you a few questions about Callie Stevenson."

"Of course. Please sit down." Mr. Oldham indicated two seats at a table. Booth sat down, but Brennan hesitated. She looked around the place, noticing the men that were there, and at the girls dancing.

"Mr. Oldham, would it be okay for me to look around, maybe speak to some of your employees?"

"Go ahead. Have a look around." He waved in the general direction of the stages. Brennan offered a tight smile. As she wandered away, Booth turned to Mr. Oldham.

"How long did Callie Stevenson work here?"

"About three years. She was my most popular dancer."

"Did she ever have anyone who took a liking to her?"

"Just about every man who comes in here's taken a liking to her Agent Booth."

"Any of them named Jeff?"

"Common enough name. Truth is, I wouldn't know. Security might, or maybe some of the girls. Sorry I can't be of more help."

"Do you know if anyone ever threatened her?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Any troublemakers are banned from my club. This might be a strip club, but I run a respectable establishment."

Temperance wandered into the dressing rooms of the dancers to look over Callie's belongings. One girl watched Brennan before approaching her.

"You the new girl?" She looked over Brennan's appearance with a frown. "Because that outfit isn't going to fly here. You need to be much more flashy."

"I'm not a stripper. I'm just looking over Callie Stevenson's belongings. Tell me, did you know her very well?"

"She was one of my best friends here. I mean, she was more an older sister, but she was great, you know?"

"Did anyone ever show her a lot of interest, more than would be usual for a place like this?"

"Yeah, there was this one guy…Jeff. He was here like everyday, always watching Callie."

"I'm assuming then, that you got a good look at the man?"

"Oh yeah. He was a pretty good-looking guy. Always flirting with Callie, and she flirted back. I don't blame her, I'd flirt with him if he'd paid any attention to me."

"Would you mind speaking with someone about Jeff? It would really help this investigation if I can get a face to go with the name."

"Sure. I can do that."

"Before I go, just one more question…have you seen Jeff recently?"

"No. He hasn't been here in over a month."

"Thank you…."

"Sophie."

"Thank you Sophie. My partner will get in touch with you." Brennan nodded to the girl and left the dressing room to return to Booth. He stood by a counter, waiting for her. As she saw him, Tempe's face broke into a grin.

"I can get a face for our mystery man." Booth slid his hand down to the small of her back as they left the strip club.

"One of the girls saw him?"

"Yes."

"Ha! See, Bones, I knew I love you for a reason." Brennan looked at Booth, her eyes squinting. Booth froze for a moment before meeting Tempe's gaze.

"You just did it again."

"Did what again?"

"Said you love me. You did it in South Carolina, and just did it again."

"Yeah, I did." He rubbed the back of his neck and offered her a sheepish grin. Temperance took his face into her hands and pulled him toward her, their lips making contact. Booth wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer to him. He pulled back from her to search her face. "I'm guessing that's a good thing."

"Yes, it's a good thing."

"And?"

"And, I feel the same way," she said slowly, a smile spreading across her face. Booth returned the grin.

"Good. I'm glad we got that cleared up," he said before kissing her one more time, and returning to work mode. "I'll be leaving this evening for Galveston to speak with Shelby's family, friends and work associates. Hopefully I won't be gone for too long."

"I'll send Ange here tomorrow to get Sophie's description and get it to you as soon as possible."

"Good. I'll run it through the database and see if we come up with anything. If not, then I'll make sure his face ends up in the papers."

They got into the SUV to head back to the Jeffersonian. As Seeley pulled out of the parking lot, Temperance placed a hand on his knee and looked at him.

"Where are you staying in Galveston?"

"At a La Quinta. Do you know what La Quinta means Bones?"

"It depends on how it's used. It could mean a country villa, or if used in a military capacity, it can mean a draft." Booth looked at her, knowing that he should have seen it coming. He sighed and shook his head.

"No, Bones, it means next to Denny's."

"Booth, that is the most illogical thing I have ever heard in my life. To think that every single La Quinta is located next to a Denny's is irrational. It's just not possible."

"Yeah, well, the next time you see one, just take a look. I can guarantee you, the two come hand in hand."

"When does your plane leave?"

"Six. I need to stop back at the Bureau before going home to pack."

"You need me to watch Fang again?"

"If it's not a problem."

"Not at all. He's such a sweet little dog." She smirked, and then squeezed his thigh slightly. Booth just rolled his eyes and they finished the drive back to the Jeffersonian in a comfortable silence. Before Brennan got out of the car, she leaned in and captured his lips in a kiss. Booth reached up and caressed her cheek before they broke apart.

"I'll miss you, Bones."

"I'll miss you too. When will you be back?"

"Hopefully I'll only be gone two, maybe three days. As long as everyone is available, it shouldn't take too long."

"Well, hurry up and maybe we can finally get on that date."

"I look forward to it." They kissed again before Temperance stepped out of the SUV. She watched as he pulled away from the lot, heading for the Hoover Building. With a sigh, she returned to her office, unaware of the wistful expression on her face. Angela, however, did notice, and smiled at her friend's obvious happiness.

XxXxX

Booth climbed into his rental sedan, a boring, black car, he noted with a sigh. No fun in a convertible, like when he'd been in Los Angeles. At least he wouldn't be in Texas too long, only a couple of days, then he could get back to DC and to a date he was promised by Dr. Temperance Brennan. He started the car and pulled onto the road, on his way to Galveston. The drive would take about forty minutes, so rather than make the drive in silence, he turned on the radio, looking for a rock station.

"The National Hurricane center reports that Tropical Storm Ernesto has crossed over Cuba and is heading into the Gulf Of Mexico. Experts believe that if it continues on its current path, it could strike the southern coast area of Louisiana. Residents of the area are advised to finalize preparations as soon as possible." Booth shook his head and turned off the radio. _Nothing's on. At least the drive's nice._

XxXxX

Temperance sat at her desk the next day, going over some paperwork. A small pillow barely showed under her desk as the small Chihuahua slept peacefully. As Angela entered the office, Temperance looked up expectantly.

"Sweetie, I talked to Sophie and got that sketch you were waiting for."

"Thanks, Ange. Go ahead and fax it over to Booth in Galveston. He'll be able to run it through the FBI database in Houston."

"What's you hot FBI guy doing there?"

"He has some interviews to do in regards to Shelby Grayson. You don't think that Hurricane is going to strike Galveston, do you?"

"The news said it's heading for Louisiana. Did you know that Sophie teaches a fitness class? Apparently, you can learn the moves that exotic dancers use. How hot is that? I think we should take the class."

"What purpose would that serve? It's not a skill you need in life."

"True, but you can't tell me you wouldn't want to give Seeley a sexy show like that. That man would eat it up."

"Angela, focus. I am not going to do a lap dance." Temperance pulled up the e-mail she had received from Booth and copied down a listed fax number before handing it to Angela. The artist looked at the number before pocketing it.

"How about this then…I'll take the class and you can come as my moral support."

"You're not going to leave this alone, are you."

"You know me only too well, Sweetie."

"And when are we scheduled to attend this class?" Brennan arched an eyebrow as she waited for Angela's answer.

"It's tomorrow night at seven. Wear something comfortable."

XxXxX

The next day, Booth looked at the front door of the two-story house. It faced Galveston Bay, a tree in the front yard blowing gently in the breeze. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for the next confrontation. The Grayson's had already been informed that Shelby was dead, and he was only following up with an interview.

He stepped up to the door and knocked. It took a minute for the door to open, and when it did, Seeley found himself facing a middle aged woman with red-rimmed eyes and frizzy, dishwater blonde hair.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Booth held up his badge and showed it to her.

"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI. I need to ask you a few questions about your daughter, Shelby."

"Oh yes. I was told you'd be coming. Please, come in." Mrs. Grayson stepped aside to allow Booth into her house. She led him to her parlor and sat across from him. From the kitchen, her husband joined them.

"Mrs. Grayson, what was your daughter like?"

"Shelby? She was wonderful, just the sweetest girl. So smart too. She was going for her second masters degree."

"Do you know if she had any enemies?"

"No. Everyone loved her. I mean, maybe it was someone where she worked. We didn't really talk about her work."

"So, you knew about her job as a dancer at the Pussycat Club?"

"Agent Booth," Mr. Grayson began, "do you have any kids?"

"Yes, I have a son."

"I'm sure you understand, then, that children aren't always going to make the best decisions, but that doesn't mean you don't support your child. Shelby was a good girl, she just didn't make the best choices."

"And what about her child?"

"Colby lives with us. We were taking care of him while she went to school."

"Mr. Grayson, was Shelby a climber? Did she do any rock climbing?"

"No. She planned the trip to Caesar's Head simply as a camping trip for her and her friends."

"Thank you so much for your cooperation. Call me if you think of anything else." Booth handed over a card and stood to leave. As she showed him to the door, Mrs. Grayson placed a hand on Booth's arm.

"Agent Booth, please find whoever did this to my daughter."

"I intend to Mrs. Grayson." He offered her a compassionate smile before getting into his car. Starting his vehicle, Booth caught the tail end of the news report.

"Hurricane Ernesto has been upgraded to a category two hurricane. Its projected course remains that of landfall on the southern coast of Louisiana. Residents are bracing themselves. Hopes are that this will not turn into another Katrina. In other news, the Cliffside Strangler remains elusive. FBI investigators are working tirelessly on leads…" Seeley reached over and turned off the radio. _The Cliffside Strangler, huh? Didn't take too long to name him._ With a shake of his head, he continued on his way to the hotel. With any luck, Angela would have that face ready, and he could be on his way to a lead.


	8. Chapter 7b Galveston and Pole Dancing

Continued from Chapter 7

XxXxX

Temperance and Angela stood with five other women, all of them in yoga pants and body skimming tee shirts. The fitness room was outfitted with several sturdy poles, all of them allowing for adequate space to move around them. Sophie came into the room, a smile playing on her lips.

"Evening, ladies. I hope you're all ready for an intense workout! It takes quite a bit of strength and endurance to ride a pole." Ange let slip a guffaw before moving to a brass pole across from Tempe. Brennan just looked at her friend and shook her head.

"I can't believe you talked me into this."

"Just think of it like those times you spent studying Amazonian societies."

"Angela, from a historical aspect, strippers are always thought of as social pariahs on par with prostitutes, and yet these girls, like Callie and Shelby…they were graduate students. It's a fascinating dichotomy." Brennan looked over at Sophie, and noticed the girl smirking. "I'm willing to bet that even Sophie here has more intelligence than her patronage give her credit for."

"Valedictorian of my graduating class, and top grades in college," Sophie responded. "Okay ladies, let's get started…"

XxXxX

Booth laid on his bed, flipping through the meager choice of television stations. After finding nothing on, he picked up his cell phone. He stared at it for a moment before pressing one on his speed dial. Holding the phone to his ear, he waited for Bones to answer.

"Brennan."

Just hearing her voice was enough to make him smile. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself. How's Galveston?"

"Informative and boring."

"Learn anything interesting?"

"Yeah, don't listen to the radio if there's a hurricane in the gulf. I couldn't find anything to listen to."

"Oh, you poor thing." Seeley laughed at her tone of voice.

"I did speak with Shelby's parents. Nice people."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be with you when you spoke to them. I know how hard it can be for you."

Touched by her concern, Seeley smiled softly. "Thank you, Temperance. That means a lot to me." He paused and decided to change the subject. He hadn't called her just so that they could become sad and depressed. "So, did you do anything fun today?"

"Angela took me to a pole dancing class."

"Oh really? How was - wait a minute. Did you just say a pole dancing class?"

"Apparently, Sophie teaches a fitness class that teaches you how to dance with a pole. It was fascinating actually, the amount of strength and control it takes to properly grip it."

That was really not what he was expecting to hear. "Just to be clear, we are talking about scantily clad women dancing around a large pole that goes from the floor to the ceiling."

"Yes, Booth. Is there any other kind of pole dancing? It's not a big deal. You'd be amazed at just how good the workout really is. After all, it takes…"

Cutting her off, Booth still sounded a bit stunned when he said, "Hold on a minute, Bones. I don't want your techno speak to make me to lose the visual of you doing a pole dance."

"You want to see me dance? I think I was getting pretty good at it towards the end of the class. There's this move where you wrap your legs around the pole and let go with your hands allowing your body to bend back towards the floor. Without the proper control..."

Brennan was suddenly aware of the silence on the other end of the line. "Booth?"

Booth stared at the phone for a moment, the image of Bones in her underwear, spinning slowly down a pole filled his mind.

"Booth!"

"Huh?" He shook his head. "Sorry, Bones. I was a little distracted. What did you say?"

Brennan chuckled as she realized why Booth had been so quiet. "Distracted, huh? Which part, exactly, did you find most distracting?"

Even though she couldn't see him, she knew as soon as he spoke that he had a full smirk in place. And, his voice coming across the line caused her to shiver. "Oh, I don't know. It started with that part about you..."

"You mean the part about me, wrapped around a pole, sliding..." Booth groaned at the thought. Brennan smirked slightly, reveling in the thought that she could make him squirm. _Ah, revenge is sweet._

Dropping her voice, she murmured into the phone, "You know, we're planning to go back in a couple of days. I'm sure I could talk Angela into taking a few photos...so I can check my form. Do you think that might help you get past your...distraction when we talk?"

Booth exhaled sharply. He closed his eyes, imagining he was the pole she was sliding down, her eyes closed, head tossed back.

"I, uh, don't know if that will, uh, help with the distraction. Maybe a, uh, live performance would be in order."

Laughing softly, Brennan felt the need to point out how difficult that would be under the circumstances. His response surprised her.

"So, tell me instead. Describe your dance."

"You want me to tell you about me dancing?"

"Yes. And, Bones?"

Her breathy, "Yes?", made him smile. "Don't skip _any_ of the details."

Temperance breathed out unsteadily. She leaned back on her couch, and closed her eyes, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Well, first thing I did was place my hands on the pole, adjusting to the size, my fingers wrapped around it..."

Seeley unknowingly mimicked her pose, leaning back against the bed's stacked pillows. He closed his eyes and let Temperance's voice wash over him.

"I want you to describe everything, Temperance. Every move. Every feeling. Tell me what you were thinking."

"I pressed my body up against the pole, and slowly descended to the ground, never losing contact with it. As I rose back up, I twisted to the other side, sliding across the surface of the pole," Temperance dropped her voice at that moment. "All the while, wishing it was you."

Seeley's breath caught as his mental image flicked from Brennan pressing herself against the cold, metal pole to his heated body. He could imagine how it would feel to have her body sliding against his. His voice straining, he asked, "What would you do if it _were_ me instead?"

"I thought you wanted me to describe my dancing."

"Indulge me."

"Well," Brennan smiled, "If it were you, I'd run my hands down your chest, stopping as I bring my lips to your skin and place light kisses all over.

"Where, Temperance? I want you to tell me every detail of what you would do...how it would make you feel. Share this with me. Please." As he waited for her to respond, Seeley realized that he was asking for something that she might not be ready to give. But, he wanted this with her. He wanted it so badly. _It's worth a little risk._

"Well, I'd kiss the corners of your mouth, barely touching the corners of it with my tongue." Temperance closed her eyes, trying to do what Booth told her. _Angela would love this..._

She heard him groan softly and assumed that meant that this was what he was asking for. Picturing him standing before her, she went on, "You would probably want me to kiss you, but I want to wait for that. Just for a little while. Instead, I move my lips across your cheek. It's late in the day, and your stubble brushes against my skin, causing me to shiver. You tighten your arms around me as I reach the soft spot below your ear and place a soft kiss there."

"I can feel you run your hands down my spine, and it makes me shiver. I continue to kiss your skin, making my way to your chest. Your skin is warm under my touch, and the contact sends little sensations through me."

"Have you removed my shirt, Temperance?"

The timbre of his voice caused a jolt of electricity to run through her to her core. Making herself more comfortable on the cushions, she realized that she wanted to be the one to undress him. She wanted to know how it felt to have him standing before her as she slowly undid the buttons of his dress shirt. "No." She smiled. "Don't rush me. I'm enjoying this."

Properly chastened, he offered a low chuckle..

"Okay, I reach for your shirt, and begin to unbutton it," she sighed, the sound of it running over Seeley's skin like a gentle caress. "After each button, I kiss the exposed skin flicking my tongue over your musculature, tasting you."

Booth let out a shuddering breath. He didn't think that Brennan would have been up for this, but as always, she had the ability to surprise him.

"I can feel you take a trembling breath as I reach the final button. I slide the button from its hole and slowly run my hands up to your shoulders, pushing the shirt back so that it drops to the floor. I run my hands over your arms before massaging my way back to your neck."

"Oh, God, Bones. I wish you were here."

"Shh, Booth. Do you want me to go on or not?"

"No, please, keep going." In his mind's eye, Booth could picture himself standing, now shirtless in front of Bones. She was wearing... "Bones, what are you wearing?"

Looking down at her oldest pair of sweatpants and loose t-shirt, she crinkled her nose. "Right now?"

Her tone drew a soft laugh from Seeley. "No, Bones. In your mind, what are you wearing for me?"

"Oh." She closed her eyes once more and tried to imagine what she would wear for Booth. "I'm wearing a dark blue silk camisole. The thin straps are loose and are barely staying on my shoulders. The matching silk shorts are snug, with slits on each side that show flashes of my thighs as I move."

Booth shifted on the bed, imagining Brennan in the blue camisole, her auburn hair tousled, blue eyes shining with lust.

"Okay, what would you do next?" He imagined the feel of cool silk sliding across his skin as she moved around him, the soft touch of fabric heightening his already alert senses. His groin tightened, and he tried to concentrate on what Brennan was saying.

"You try to reach for the straps of my top, but I grab your hands to stop you." She heard him chuckle and say something about "told you you'd be bossy". She smiled and told him, "Be quiet. This is my fantasy."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Still holding your wrists in mine, I move your arms to behind my back. You loop one arm up and wind your fingers into my hair. The other hand you slide under my top, caressing my back with slow circles. The pressure of your hand increases as I lean into you and kiss your neck. I slowly drag my tongue across your pulse, relishing the knowledge that my simple touch makes you catch your breath."

She heard Seeley's breath hitch, and imagined him, laying in bed, his eyes closed, caught up on every word she said.

"I continue a trail of kisses along your jaw, finally giving in to the urge of capturing your lips with mine. I trace my tongue along your lips, waiting for you to allow me to slip it into your mouth. Your grip on my hair and back tighten as you pull me flush against your body. I can feel you responding to me, and press in closer."

"I moan as I grind my hips against you. While gently sucking on your lower lip, I move my hand up the back of your neck and run my fingers through your hair. You move your mouth down the line of my throat and gently nip at my shoulder. My hands find their way to your waist, and I reach for your belt buckle. I want to feel you, all of you against my skin."

Booth let out another groan. Her words were having much more of an effect on him than he expected. He desperately wanted her with him. He wanted to feel her against him. In the back of his lust filled mind, Seeley registered that the television was still on. News of the hurricane pulled him from his connection with Temperance.

"I moan as I grind my hips against you. While gently sucking on your lower lip, I move my hand up the back of your neck and run my fingers through your hair. You move your mouth down the line of my throat and gently nip at my shoulder. My hands find their way to your waist, and I reach for your belt buckle. I want to feel you, all of you against my skin."

Booth let out another groan. Her words were having much more of an effect on him than he expected. He desperately wanted her with him. He wanted to feel her against him. In the back of his lust filled mind, Seeley registered that the television was still on. News of the hurricane pulled him from his connection with Temperance.


	9. Chapter 8 Rising Tension

A/N: Thanks again to Siapom for your help with the phone conversation. Wolfy, always appreciate your input. And I apologize for unfulfillment for all my little fans out there. Don't blame me however, blame Maynard. It's always his fault. Oh, and I know Ernesto isn't going to hit Galveston, but just bare with me, okay?

"Hurricane Ernesto has changed course and is heading on a direct path to Galveston, Texas. Landfall is estimated to be September eighth. Residents of the island city are advised to make final preparations."

"Bones, I'm sorry, I have to go. That hurricane? It's heading right for Galveston."

XxXxX

Angela woke up and stumbled toward the insistent pounding on her front door. She opened the door to see Brennan standing there in sweat pants, a tee shirt, Fang, and a small suitcase.

"Ange, I have to get down to Galveston, now." Angela looked at her best friend and ushered Brennan inside.

"Bren, sweetie, while it's really sweet that you're suddenly all protective of your man, running down to an area when there's no guarantee that he'll even be there when the hurricane hits is just stupid."

"He'd do it for me! You remember how he flew down to New Orleans when I was in trouble. It's the least I can do." Angela led Brennan over to a couch and sat her down.

"Sweetie, when you were in New Olreans, someone was framing you for murder. You can't protect Booth from the weather. He's a big boy. He can take care of himself. Besides, it's only a category two. Kinda scary, but not a lot of damage. He'll be fine. Now do you want to stay here for the night, or are you okay to go home?"

"Can I stay here tonight?"

"Let me get you some blankets."

XxXxX

Booth drove into Houston to a field office in order to search the FBI database for a match to the sketch Angela made. The area was awash with traffic because of the hurricane preparations. He wanted to get these interviews finished today so he could be out of the area before Hurricane Ernesto hit.

A female agent met him in the office. She looked him over appreciatively.

"Now I wish I'd gotten that transfer to DC. I'm Agent Leah Swinney, and you must be Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"I have a face that I need to run through the system. If you could just direct me…"

"Of course Agent Booth. Please, follow me." She led him down a hallway to a computer terminal. "You ever been through a hurricane?"

"No, and I'm not planning on going through the experience this time. If I need anything, I'll let you know." Booth smiled at her in dismissal before turning his attention to the computer. Leah frowned at the obvious rejection before walking out of the room. After entering in the information, he rubbed his eyes. The waiting was the hard part. He contemplated calling Bones, but with nothing new to go on, he didn't want to disturb her during working hours with a personal call.

XxXxX

Brennan stood over a set of remains from Limbo, but couldn't concentrate on her work. To compensate, she had Zack look over the remains while she confirmed his findings.

"Male, late-twenties. Facial structure suggests Caucasian. The legs are bowed, with evidence the man spent a lot of time riding horseback. Evidence of multiple fractures to the ribcage, as well as his right ulna and left fibula."

"Good Zack. What else can you tell me?" She strained to look in her office, where she had the news on. If there was news on the hurricane, she wanted to see it.

"He stood approximately six feet tall, maybe on hundred ninety pounds." Zack looked over at Brennan, who was bolting to her office. The grad student looked at Angela, who followed behind Brennan.

"Angela, what's going on?" he asked.

"Booth is in Galveston, and Bren's worried about him."

"Oh. Wait, are Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan dating?"

"Well, they're together…" Angela cut off and made her way into Brennan's office. Tempe sat on her couch, staring at the television there.

"The mayors of both Galveston and Houston are urging their residents to evacuate as Hurricane Ernesto intensified to a category three. Landfall is estimated for five o'clock on September the Eighth. That is the same date as Isaac's storm in 1900. For more information on that devastating storm, please see our website, and for information on evacuation procedures, please call your local emergency information line."

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Angela sat next to her friend. Tempe looked at her before pulling out her cell phone.

XxXxX

Booth's search for the mysterious Jeff turned up nothing. His name hadn't even been listed on the trail logs for Caesar's Head State Park. With a sigh, Booth left a copy of the sketch to go out into the papers and exited the building. It was quickly hitting evening and he wanted to speak to some of the dancers at the Pussycat Club. _Could you be more clichéd?_ The club was clear across town, and the sooner he got this done, the sooner he could return to Temperance. As if she could read his thought, a call came through from her.

"Hey, you. How you doing? Fang didn't destroy anything, did he?"

"Booth, I want you to come home as soon as you can."

"That's the plan."

"Seeley, the news said it's a category three. Those can be dangerous."

"Temperance, listen to me. I have to do my job. Once that's done, I'll be on the first flight I can catch out of here. I promise. Besides, if it makes you feel any better, I'll change to a hotel in Houston."

"Just stay safe."

"I will, and Temperance?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

XxXxX

Booth pulled into the parking lot of the Pussycat Club, not surprised to see the parking lot filled at the late evening hour. He turned off the vehicle and pocketed his key after locking the door. He headed into the neon lit club, getting a headache almost instantly from the smoky, bass pounding environment. He stepped up to a security guard and flashed his badge.

"I'm looking for Randy Stark."

"He'll be out in a minute." The security guard turned and picked up a phone. After speaking into the receiver, he motioned to a table. "Have a seat." Booth nodded to the man and had a seat. He looked around the club, his eye being caught by a red headed dancer at the far end of the bar. His mind wandered back to his conversation with Brennan. He exchanged the red head with Brennan and watched as she whirled around the pole. His mouth went dry as he imagined her wrapping her legs around the pole before spinning slowly to the floor.

"You like her? That's Candy."

"What?" Booth looked at the rather sleazy man before him. Quite a difference from Mr. Oldham.

"The redhead. Saw you staring at her."

"Oh, no. I was just thinking about something. I need to ask you some questions about Shelby Grayson."

"What a girl she was. Most popular dancer here. What a sexy gal!"

"Did you ever see this man in here?" Booth pulled out the sketch of Jeff and handed it to the manager. Randy looked at the picture and passed it back to Booth.

"Sure, that's Jeff. He really had a thing for Shelby, you know? Came in here all the time."

"And do you have a last name for Jeff?"

"I don't know how much you know about places like this, but we don't exactly operate on a last name basis."

"When was the last time you remember seeing him?"

" Bout two weeks ago, just before Shelby went on vacation."

"Did you happen to hear whether or not she was expecting him along?"

"Nah, but some of the girls might know. Candy there, she went on the trip with Shelby. She might know a thing or two." Booth looked at Randy and shook his head.

"You aren't trying to pimp out your dancers, are you?"

"Me? Nah. What they do in their spare time is none of my business. I can send her over here if you have any questions."

"I need to speak with her anyway."

"Great. You can have a little Candy then." With that, Randy left the table and whispered something to a security guard. The guard nodded and headed back to what Booth could only assume was the dressing room. It took about twenty minutes, but Candy finally made her way over to Booth. She sat across from him with a smile.

"Well, well, well, it's not often I get the attention of someone so good-looking. Most of the guys who come in here are fat slobs."

"Candy, I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth. I'm doing an investigation regarding Shelby Grayson, and was wondering if you could answer a few questions in regards to the camping trip you took with her."

"Of course, whatever you need." She winked at him and reclined in the chair. Booth slid the picture of Jeff across the table.

"You know who that is?"

"Yeah, it's Jeff."

"Okay. Do you have a last name for Jeff?"

"Never learned it. I don't know if you're real familiar with places like this Agent Booth, but…"

"You don't deal in last names, I know. I also know that this man was interested in Shelby. Was she expecting to meet him at Caesar's Head?"

"She did say something about that. Dude was seriously into her, was here all the time. She was gonna hook up with him or something. I don't know. He was supposed to meet her for a bit the day we left. She even had a later flight out of Greenville."

"Do you know what time her flight was supposed to leave?"

"Nah. Just later, like eight in the evening or something."

"Well, thank you Candy. If you have anything else that you remember, let me know." Booth took back the picture and handed over a business card. Candy looked at the number and smiled at him.

"You can count on it Agent Booth."

XxXxX

Booth returned to his hotel room that night and flopped down on the bed. He was tired, and still had a few interviews to do the next day. If he hurried through them, he could probably finish up by early afternoon, then catch the first flight out of Houston for DC. As he laid on the bed, he let his mind drift the conversation he'd had with Bones the night before. He could shoot himself for leaving the television on, but thought maybe he could make up for it. With a smile, he picked up his phone and dialed the familiar number.

XxXxX

Temperance sat on Booth's couch with Fang curled up in her lap, sleeping. Angela sat in an overstuffed chair, munching on popcorn as they watched a movie. Brennan had never seen Sleepless in Seattle, and it was seeming like such an implausible story, but highly entertaining. When her phone rang, Tempe grabbed it and flicked it open, quickly.

"Brennan."

"Hey there Gorgeous."

"Hey. How are you, are you ready to leave yet?" Tempe adjusted herself on the couch, being sure not to disturb the dog. Angela glanced at her friend with a small grin playing on her lips. It was so nice to see Brennan relaxing and in love. _Booth has been so good for her._

"Not yet. I have a few more interviews to get through tomorrow. My search today turned up absolutely nothing, except I can now check passenger lists for flights leaving Greenville for Houston."

"Hopefully we'll find something in the search."

"Yeah. I don't like having nothing to go on," Booth sighed. He closed his eyes and adjusted his position on the bed. "I was just thinking about that conversation we were having yesterday…"

"This is not exactly the best time to be having this conversation."

"Angela's there?"

"Yes."

"Well, how's about I talk and you listen." Brennan looked quickly at her friend. Angela looked at her and stood.

"Sweetie, I'm going to run and get some ice cream. You want your usual?"

"Sure, thanks Ange." She smiled at her as she left the apartment. "Okay, she's giving us a few minutes."

"God bless perceptive friends. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too. It seems strange though. You've been gone for longer periods of time in the past…"

"Yeah, but we weren't together back then. Now, to get back to some unfinished business."

"I did it yesterday, it's your turn," Brennan grinned. She closed her eyes and got comfortable. Booth did the same.

"First thing I'm going to do when I get home is touch you. I just want to caress your skin, and know that you really are there, standing in front of me. I want to feel your silky texture under my fingers, and breathe in your scent, the vanilla of your shampoo, the jasmine from your body spray. It's that combination that is so undeniably you.

"Then I would pull you into my arms, and kiss that point just behind your earlobe right before I - "

"Wait a second, Booth. What are we wearing?"

Booth took a moment to look at his phone like _it _had been the one to ask such a strangely timed question before putting it back to his ear. "You want to discuss that now?"

"Well, I don't know how much time we'll have before Angela gets back." Booth sighed and looked skyward for a moment.

"Okay...I'm in a button down black shirt and jeans. You're in those cute pajamas you wore at my place earlier this week."

"Why those?"

"Because I like them."

"Oh, okay. Now go on."

"Are you sure? Because, if you have any other questions, I'd like to get them out of the way now."

Hearing his normal and easy sarcasm, she couldn't help but smile. She really hadn't realized just how much she would miss him, now that things had changed. But, she also wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily when he pulled out that attitude. "Hey, you were the one who made a big deal out of describing the clothing last night. I'm just trying to follow your rules."

Booth laughed. _Well, I guess I should have seen that coming._

"Bones, there aren't exactly set rules to this sort of thing, but the effort is appreciated. Okay, now are you absolutely sure that you have no more questions, because I really don't want to have the mood interrupted once we get going."

"No, no more questions."

"Okay then, let's see, where was I?" Booth closed his eyes again, picturing Bones standing before him in the juicy shorts and lacy camisole. He imagined his arms wrapped around her, and his mouth descending onto that sensitive spot just behind her ear.

"You said something about my ear." When she heard his sigh, she laughed.

"_Bones_ - "

Still laughing, she apologized. "I promise. I'm done. Please...tell me what you would do after you kiss the spot behind my earlobe. And, where are my hands. Because, when I see you, I won't be able to keep them off of you."

Booth groaned at the sudden image of himself pressed up against the wall, Brennan's hands wandering over his skin. He shook his head to focus.

"Bones, just go with what I'm describing, okay?"

"Okay."

"I kiss that spot just behind your ear, and you wrap your arms around my neck and tilt your head to one side as I move down your neck, kissing your soft skin, and grazing my tongue against your pulse. I can feel your hands in my hair, and I shift to concentrate on your collarbone."

Hearing her catch her breath, he exhaled sharply. "Then, just as you try to pull my head up for a kiss, I'll move my mouth even lower. I'll press soft kisses along the edge of your camisole, following its trail as it dips between your breasts. I'll consider giving you the kiss you've been wanting. But, before I can move, I'll notice that your nipples are hardened beneath the thin material of your top. It's too much for me to resist. So I slowly lower my mouth over the material, sucking every so lightly."

Temperance almost dropped the phone as she readjusted her position on the couch. She trailed her hand down over the path he described, inhaling shallowly.

"Seeley," she breathed. Booth felt himself reacting to the sound in her voice and was finding it hard to think.

"My hands slip under the edge of you camisole, caressing your skin as I slowly run them up and down your back. You shiver just a little as I switch to the next nipple."

She moaned as she imagined his hot mouth closing over her breast. She could almost feel his skin under her hands as he described moving away just enough to remove her top.

Booth moaned as she whispered his name once more. "You tell me that it's unfair for me to still be wearing a shirt while you're left to the cold breezes of the air. So, I help as you undo the buttons of my shirt. When you push it from my shoulders, I put my hands on your hips and pull you against me. The feel of your skin against mine making me harder than I thought was possible."

"You feel me against you and press your body closer. I finally capture your lips in a kiss, and as you open for me to taste you, I let my hands graze down your back until they reach your ass."

Temperance moaned his name as she shifted slightly on the couch. The feelings that just the thought of his touch could bring were amazingly powerful. A part of her mind wondered just what it would be like if he were actually in front of her. Of course, if he were here, she would do more than just moan his name. She barely recognized her own voice as she almost pleaded, "Seeley, I want to touch you."

"God Temperance, I want to feel myself in you. I want to be with you and never let go."

"Seeley, please hurry home."

"I can't get there fast enough, Babe. I want to feel you around me, feel my lips on yours, feel you body moving under mine..."

Temperance moaned again, her hand wandering a trail down her body. Her hand had reached the top of her jeans when she heard a voice singing loudly from down the hall. The deliberate rattling of keys soon followed.

"Damn it."

"What?"

"Angela's back."

"Damn it." Both lay back where they were, Temperance trying to control the flush of her skin, and Seeley contemplating a cold shower.

A/N: Hides in impenetrable fort of cereal boxes as fruit slushy from Michigan is flung my way.


	10. Chapter 9 Flurry of Activity

A/N: Okay, so I decided that my impenetrable fort of cereal boxes wasn't going to hold off the fruit slushy any more, so the fruit flinging (looks sternly at Jaed, BonesDBchippie and Wolfy) and a lack of normal numbers of reviews has made me rethink my approach somewhat. You'll see what I mean when you get there. This chapter reads a little differently from the others in that there are time quotes for the majority of it. These quotes might not seem in synch with each other, but they are for two different time zones. I hope you enjoy, and please stop the slushy throwing. I'm sorry to keep them apart for so long. Are you happy now? Geez. September 07, 5:00 am 

Temperance arrived at the Jeffersonian early in the morning, her workout clothing and Fang in tow. She hadn't slept at all the night before, still frustrated over Angela's ill-timed interruption. She blinked sleepily at her e-mail, and then stared blankly at the file on their current John Doe. The tissue depth markers were prepared and waiting for Angela's input into the Angelator. With nothing to do until the rest of her team showed up, Temperance laid down on her couch to possibly get some sleep.

XxXxX

September 07, 6:00 am 

Seeley lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't slept much after the interruption and no amount of cold showers or self-satisfaction would compensate. With a sigh, he rolled out of bed to get ready for his day. He had three interviews to get through and then he could fly back to Temperance. Booth scrubbed a hand over his face and turned on the television.

"The governor has declared a state of emergency for the gulf coast of Texas as Ernesto has increased to a category four. The island of Galveston has been ordered to evacuate as fears of a repeat of the great hurricane of 1900 arise. Isaac's storm, as it has come to be know, was one of the most devastating storms in United States history, with a casualty count between six and eight thousand. The entire island was submerged beneath almost twenty feet of water. Residents and tourists are ordered to finish with preparations and evacuate the city for higher ground."

Booth looked at the television and groaned. _Yep, this is going to be a long day._

XxXxX

**8:00 am**

Angela entered Brennan's office with the information on their John Doe. Temperance was still sleeping on the couch, a worried expression gracing her face. The artist smiled in sympathy before waking her friend from the fitful slumber.

"Sweetie, come on, I've got some information on our John Doe." Angela gently shook Tempe's arm until her friend finally opened her eyes and sat up.

"What information?"

"We've got an id. Rusty 'soft touch' Bodeene. He was a rodeo rider who disappeared about seven years ago."

"Soft Touch?"

"Oh yeah. Christened him myself. He was all set for a breakout year and he just disappeared. According to the pathology report, he had a large amount of Oxycodone in his system. According to his medical records, he had been prescribed the medication for his injuries. Didn't deter his love-making abilities any, let me tell you."

"Angela!"

"What? I didn't call him soft touch for nothing. Now, do you want us to issue a press release about this? It's big news."

"Um, sure. Why not." Brennan's phone trilled in her pocket. She grabbed it and flipped it open, hoping it was Booth. "Brennan." Angela gave a little wave with the papers and left the office to prepare the press release.

"Tempe, darling, it's Brandi. Listen, all the arrangements are set for your trip to the city of angels." Temperance groaned inwardly at her agent. "You'll be flying out this evening. Your flight leaves DC at six on United flight 947, and arrives in Los Angeles at eight. I'll be meeting you at the airport and get you checked in to your hotel. You'll be going straight to a book signing that evening. In the morning, you'll have a few hours to relax and change, then you'll be meeting Harrison Warner for a live interview at noon. From one until six you have several appointments, then the movie premier. Be prepared to go to an after party. We need you to circulate."

"I'm not stale air. Why do I need to circulate?"

"Because, you're the latest thing in the writing world. You need to make connections, connect with the A list. You never know when you'll be working with them."

"Brandi, unless one of them turns up dead and is in some way unrecognizable, I highly doubt that I'll have any contact with them."

"And that's where you're wrong darling. As a New York Times best selling offer, they'll be knocking down your door to get the rights to your books."

"I don't know what that means." Brennan heard her publicist sigh.

"Tempe, don't worry about it. I'll e-mail you the flight information, and see you this evening." The line went dead as the publicist hung up. With a sigh, Brennan got off the couch. Today was going to be a lot longer than she thought.

XxXxX

**7:00 am**

Booth pulled up to the curb outside of a modest two-story house. The place looked to be at least a hundred years old, and even though the hour was early, the owners of the place were busily boarding up the windows. Booth climbed from his vehicle, and approached the family. They eyed him, and he wished for just a moment that he had chosen to wear a suit as opposed to the casual jeans and Tshirt he currently sported. He flashed his badge to the family, and smiled.

"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI. I'm looking for Edward Haus." Booth reached forward to assist lifting a piece of plywood in place. The young man before him smiled.

"That'd be me."

"I understand you went to Caesar's Head with Shelby Grayson."

"Yeah, I went with her and a few other friends." Edward used a nail gun to attach the plywood to the side of the house as Booth held it in place.

"what exactly was your relationship with Shelby?"

"We used to be an item, but, after Colby was born, we kinda drifted apart."

"So you didn't mind the fact that she had set up plans to meet with someone?"

"Nah. I mean it's rough, you know? I still cared about her, but it wasn't my place to rule her life."

"Did you ever meet the guy she was going to meet?"

"Nope. I heard her talking about him with Candy, but she never discussed it with me."

"So you never heard a last name for Jeff?

"Uh-uh. Like I said, it wasn't any of my business. Now though, I wish I'd gotten a few more details."

"Thanks for your time."

"No, thank you for yours." Edward reached out to shake Booth's hand. Booth handed him a business card.

"If you can think of anything that could help with my investigation, please give me a call."

"Sure." Edward nodded, and Booth helped him with one more piece of plywood before leaving.

XxXxX

**9:00 am**

Temperance paced in her office, Fang watching her movements from his pillow under her desk. Angela popped her head in the office and looked at her nervous friend.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"My publicist called. I totally forgot about the movie premier for Bred in the Bone. I'm supposed to fly out to LA this evening at six."

"How did you forget something like that? Usually you're on top of your appointments."

"It hasn't exactly been my top priority of late."

"Well, you have to be at the airport in eight hours, and I refuse to let you go in the clothes you have, so it looks like we're taking the rest of the day off."

"I am not going shopping! There's too much to do here."

"It's nothing the boys can't handle. Would you relax? Besides, this will be fun. Now grab your stuff and that little cutie under your desk, and we'll get going." Angela crossed her arms and stared at Brennan until her friend gave in. Temperance picked up the dog and her bag and followed Angela somewhat reluctantly from the building.

"I don't know why I have to pick up new clothes. I'm sure what I have is fine."

"Now sweetie, you're going to be in Hollywood, land of the trend setters. You need something that will make you stand out, something that will wow the fashion police. That is why we're getting you something new."

"When have I ever cared what fashion law enforcement has thought. Don't I dress nice enough?"

"Of course you do, now let's go buy stuff." Angela grabbed her friend's arm and continued to her car.

XxXxX

**10:00 am**

Booth stopped at a fast food place to grab something to eat. His interviews were done, and now it was down to a matter of getting an earlier flight from Galveston back to DC. With the rush of tourists and residents trying to vacate the area, that would be the tough part. At least he would be able to surprise Temperance by showing up early, like he had last time. The thought of what they could be engaged in spurred him into eating quickly so he could finalize his airline plans. At that moment, his cell phone began to trill in his pocket.

"Booth," he said, trying to keep the fact that he had a mouth full of food hidden.

"Agent Booth? This is Agent Finn from the Los Angeles field office." Booth rolled his eyes skyward. Why did he have to hear from her?

"What is it Agent Finn?"

"Another body has been discovered in relation to the Cliffside Strangler."

"Was it found in Los Angeles?"

"Actually, no. The remains were discovered in Yosemite National Park."

"Let me guess, either hikers or climbers discovered the remains on a small ledge, and called in the local law enforcement."

"Well, you're partially correct Agent Booth. The remains were discovered after some scavengers knocked the remains from the ledge. A park ranger found them."

"Okay, have the shipped to the Los Angeles Field Office, and I'll get out there as soon as possible."

"They're already en route. I also have you booked on a flight leaving Houston at six in the evening on Continental Airlines flight 1795. You'll be arriving in Los Angeles at about eight o'clock. I look forward to working with you again Agent Booth."

"Thank you Agent Finn, I'll see you in the morning." Booth flipped his phone shut and grimaced. The trip was being expanded, not what he wanted, but at least he wouldn't end up in Galveston when the hurricane hit. With the issue of the airline already taken care of, Booth headed to his rental car. He just needed to collect his belongings from the hotel and get the hell out of Dodge.

XxXxX

**12:00 pm**

Temperance looked at herself in the mirror with a sigh. In the three hours she had been out with Angela, she had tried on more clothes than she had in her closet at home. The dress she had on currently was strapless and a forest green color. While it complemented her skin tone and hair color, Tempe really didn't like it. It seemed too clingy in some spots, and too loose in others.

"Angela, please tell me we're almost done here."

"Sweetie, we haven't even settled on a dress yet. Here, try on this gold one. You should look hot in it." Angela handed the dress over the changing room door to Temperance. The forensic anthropologist looked at it, surprised at it's simple styling. The dress had a v-neck line that plunged to the top of her cleavage, with a matching line in the back. It skimmed her figure to her waist, while the skirt was gently fluted and shifted delicately when she moved in it.

"I think we've finally found one Ange. I don't need to try on anything else, really." Temperance stepped from her stall and showed the outfit to Angela. Her friend looked her over and gave a nod of approval.

"Perfect. Now we just have to get you some strappy gold sandals to match and just the right underwear." With a sigh, Tempe stepped back into the stall to put on her regular clothes. She honestly didn't know if she could take any more of shopping with Angela, but was pretty much being held hostage by her friend. Temperance rubbed at the tension between her eyes, and sighed. This really was turning into a long day.

XxXxX

**11:00 am**

Booth ran a hand over his face as he made his way to his room. He put his key card in the door, and frowned when the door didn't open. He tried again with the same result. With a sigh, he returned to the lobby of the hotel.

"My keycard doesn't seem to be working," Booth said as he reached the front desk.

"What room are you in?"

"Room 211." Booth watched as the girl at the front desk typed in some information. She frowned, then picked up a phone and called out the hotel manager. Once the call was over, she turned her attention back to Booth. "We had some…problems on that floor this morning. My manager will take you to your room and explain."

"Anything I should be worried about?'

"Um, probably not, but I'll let him explain." Booth nodded and sat in a nearby chair. He tapped his hands on the arms as he waited for the manager. The man was quick in showing up, and he looked apprehensive.

"Mr. Booth? I'm the hotel's manager, Stanton Freely." He held out his hand to Booth, and the agent took it warily.

"Mr. Freely, I'd like to know what's going on here."

"We had a…breach of security in a few of our rooms this morning."

"Someone broke into the hotel rooms?"

"Yes, and while most people's belongings were fine, some had missing items. I'll be escorting you up to your room, and hopefully everything will be in order." A pounding headache was building behind Seeley's eyes. This was not something he needed right now.

They reached the room, and after a moment, Stanton had the door open. Booth stepped inside and swept his gaze around the place.

"Son of a Bitch!" Booth dropped his head down toward his chest and took a deep breath. Everything was gone and the room was in shambles.

XxXxX

**4:30 pm**

"Looks like that's the last of it Sweetie," Angela said as she forced Brennan's suitcase shut. Temperance looked at the bag and shook her head.

"Ange, I'm going to Los Angeles for the weekend, not ten days. There are way too many clothes in there."

"Bren, you can never have too many clothes. Now if I'm not mistaken, we have about half an hour to get you to the airport. Have you called Booth yet to let him know where you'll be?"

"Oh, God, I forgot." Brennan reached for her phone and dialed Booth's number. She listened to it ring as Angela pulled the stuffed suitcase out to her car. Brennan frowned as Booth didn't answer. Instead, she got his voicemail. "Hey you, I was just calling to let you know I have some interviews and book signings in Los Angeles, so I'm on my way tot the airport. I know you probably can't make it out there, but I would love to see you, so get out of Galveston, and hurry home." She hung up the phone and hurried out of the apartment behind Angela.

XxXxX

**3:30 pm**

Booth sat, cursing under his breath as he sat in a standstill of traffic. The hours that he spent at the police station filing reports for his luggage had slowed down his day considerably. He was in a bad mood, and his headache had grown to monstrous proportions. With a sigh he inched forward in the traffic. The residents of the area were taking the evacuation serious, and the traffic out of the area was terrible. As he came to a stop once again, he pulled out his cell phone to call Brennan. He flipped open the phone and looked at it.

"God Damn it." He flipped the phone shut. "Battery's dead."

XxXxX

**6:00 pm**

Temperance sat on the plane as it taxied down the runaway. She still hadn't heard from Booth and was growing just a little concerned. She knew that by this time he should have contacted her, but her phone hadn't rung once. With a sigh, she leaned back in her seat and turned to look out the window. A man sat down next to her, and she could feel his eyes on her. She turned to glare at him, but only found herself facing a very good-looking man with genuine concern in his eyes.

"You look like something's bothering you. If you need to talk about it, you'll find I'm a good listener." His Texas drawl colored the words as he spoke. Temperance offered him a smile.

"Thank you for the offer, but I generally don't speak to people I'm not familiar with when on a long flight."

"Well now, we might just need to change that little fact. A beautiful woman like you should never need to avoid conversation. I promise you, you'll feel better once you get whatever it is off your chest."

"You sure you want to hear about it?"

"Well, it's a long flight, and I'm sure any conversation with you would be more riveting than the book I'm reading, and let me assure you, it's a good book." The man held up the paperback in his hand. It was a copy of her latest book. Temperance shook her head, amused. Of course he was only interested because she was the author.

"I suppose I could get my concerns off my chest."

"And that's all anyone could really ask. I'm Matthew, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you Matthew, I'm Temperance."

XxXxX

**6:00pm**

Booth sat in his coach seat on the airline and tapped his hands nervously as he waited for the flight to take off. As he fidgeted, the woman next to him just watched, an amused smile on her face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We are currently waiting for clearance to leave due to the high winds. Once we receive clearance, then we'll be off to Los Angeles. The remainder of the flight should be clear, so sit back, and we should be off shortly." Booth listened to the announcement and cursed under his breath before he began the tapping in earnest.

"You know, if something's bothering you, maybe you should talk about it." The woman said. Seeley turned to look at the woman. She had shoulder length brown hair, wide eyes, and a smile to match.

"I've been told that before."

"And it would give your fingers a break from tearing through that armrest." Booth looked down, realizing that he was tapping the armrest quite hard.

"I suppose it would. Are you sure you're up for the long and involved tale?"

"Honey, I'm always up for anything that's long and involved. I'm Meaghan, by the way."

"Seeley."

XxXxX

**8:00 pm PST**

Booth exited the plane, Meaghan with him. He smiled gratefully that she allowed him to use her cell phone. He listened to the ringing and prayed silently that his brother would pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jared, hey, it's Seeley."

"Hey, what's up bro?"

"Not much. I don't suppose you could do me a huge favor?"

"Depends. How huge are we talking?"

"Well, I was in Galveston and had all my luggage, including my credit cards stolen from my hotel room."

"Did you need me to wire you money?"

"Uh, no. I don't suppose you could pick me up from LAX."

"It's gonna take a while for me to get there. What airline did you fly?"

"Continental."

"Fine. I'll be there in about forty minutes." Jared hung up on his end, and Seeley returned the phone to Meaghan.

"Thank you so much."

"Hey, no problem. Anyone who can keep me entertained for almost four hours deserves any help I can offer." She began walking towards the baggage claim and exit gate with Seeley.

Two gates down, another flight was exiting into the airport. Brandi watched as the passengers exited, looking for her client, Temperance Brennan. She smiled at her and approached as Brennan left the plane with Matthew.

"Well, Tempe, starting your schmoozing with the 'A' list early?"

"I don't know what that means." Temperance looked at her publicist, then to Matthew. "It was great to talk to you. Thanks for listening."

"No problem, and for the record, it was great to meet you." He smiled at her and began to walk away. Brandi looked at her client before grabbing hold of her elbow and leading her towards the baggage claim.

"You sat next to one of the most eligible bachelors in Hollywood and all you can say is thank you for listening? You'd better have a darn good reason for not exchanging numbers with him."

"I don't think my partner would approve."

"Your FBI partner, Seeley Booth?"

Booth stopped and looked around. He could swear he heard his name. The exiting passengers filled the terminal, and though he searched, he couldn't find the source of his name. With a shrug, he moved on, heading for the exit.

"Yes, him. We're in a sort of relationship."

"Sort of? Honey, if he looks as good as Andy Lister, then I hope you're more than sort of." With a laugh, Brandi tugged Temperance away from the exit and towards the baggage claim.

**8:40 pm**

Booth paced along the curb, looking at the passing cars for his brother. He wanted to get to his brother's so he could call Brennan and let her know he was okay. A few more cars passed by, and his eyes lit on a limousine as it pulled up. He shook his head, and returned his search for his brother's car.

Brennan sighed, grateful that the forty-minute wait for her luggage was over. She wanted to get to her hotel and try to reach Booth again. Brandi ushered her from the airport and to the waiting limo. As she climbed in the car, she paused when she heard someone call out "Seeley". Brennan stood up and looked around. There were cars and people everywhere, but she couldn't find the source of the call. With a shrug, she climbed into the vehicle and it drove away, heading to her hotel.

Booth pulled away from his brother's embrace and briefly glanced at the departing limo.

"So how exactly did you manage to lose everything?"

"Someone managed to break into several rooms on my floor. I'm so mad. The credit cards I can replace, but granddad's belt buckle was in there too."

"Man, that sucks. Well, let's get home and you can update me on your life." Jared clapped Seeley on the back before climbing into the driver's side of the car. Booth got in and they took off for Jared's house in the San Fernando Valley.

**9:40 pm**

Brennan flopped down onto the bed of her suite at the Mondrain Hotel. The soothing cream colors were helping to relieve her headache a little. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and flipped it open. She shook her head in disbelief. The phone was dead. With a sigh, she sat up, then moved to her luggage. She opened her bags and rummaged through them looking for her cell phone charger.

"Unbelievable." Brennan shook her head. The charger was missing. She stepped over to the phone in the hotel and dialed out to Booth's number. Again she got his voice mail. _That's odd, he should have called me by now._ "Hey, It's me. Seeley, I'm staying at the Mondial Hotel in West Hollywood. Could you please call and let me know you're okay? I'm really starting to worry. Please call. I love you." She hung up the phone and returned to the bed. _At least the hurricane won't have hit Galveston yet_. She grabbed some pajamas and went to the bathroom to have a nice bath before bed.

XxXxX

"So you two are finally together? I figured that would happen after she dedicated her book to you." Jared sat across from his brother at the kitchen table as both nursed a beer.

"Yeah, well, it took a bit of work and a break up to happen." Seeley knocked back his bottle and took a swig.

"So you joining her here in LA?"

"What?"

"Oh yeah. There's all this hype in town about the movie premier for Bred in the Bone. She's supposed to be on some live entertainment show tomorrow, then at the premier in the evening. You didn't know?"

"No, she didn't mention anything about it. Do you know where the interview is supposed to be?"

"Yeah, Trader Vic's in Beverley Hills, sometime around noon I think. Did you want to go?" Booth just looked at his brother. "Stupid question, right? My girlfriend works for the show. I'll just let her know we need access during the interview and she'll arrange everything."

"Thanks bro. It means a lot."

"Well, there's that and I'll finally be able to meet your girl."

"Just as long as I get to meet yours."

"It's a deal."

"Great. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. I'll need a ride to the field office in the morning."

"Sure, and sleep well Seel."

XxXxX

Booth woke bright and early with a renewed sense of purpose. He would be in Los Angeles with Temperance earlier than he thought and he couldn't keep the smile off his face at the thought of surprising her at the interview. He traipsed down the hall from his room to the living room and turned on the news.

"Hurricane Ernesto pounded into Galveston last night with wind speeds of one hundred and fifty miles per hour. The devastating storm moved swiftly through the area and up into central Texas, inundating the areas with high winds and heavy rainfall. We go to our reporter in the field, Tom Casey. Tom, what is it like down there?" the news anchorman asked. The image switched to that of a blond man with a serious expression. Tom Casey looked as though he hadn't slept at all the night before.

"Well Steve, the trail of devastation left behind the storm is immense. The entire island was under twenty feet of water. Many of the landmarks were damaged or destroyed from the wind and water. Behind me is all that remains of one restaurant." Tom gestured behind himself to a large plaster crab floating in water. Hanging from one claw was a pair of boxer shorts. Booth squinted at the image and shook his head in amazement. _Unbelievable. My boxers made it through the storm._

XxXxX

Temperance stared at the television screen in disbelief. There, behind the reported on screen was a plaster crab with a pair of boxer shorts hanging off a claw. She looked at the shorts and her heart clenched. _Those are Booth's. He wore those in Virginia._ She was sure they were his. She sat weakly on the bed as the report continued.

"Found among the wreckage was a belt buckle, and it reminds us of the loss of life suffered during this intense storm." The camera panned down to a belt buckle laying on the ground. This was the ultimate proof needed for Brennan. It was his buckle. As she struggled to breathe, Temperance did something she rarely did. She allowed herself to cry. Booth never went without the buckle. That had to be why he hadn't called her back.

XxXxX

"How decomposed was the body?" Booth asked as he walked through the morgue with Agent Finn. He glanced at his watch. His brother would be picking him up in half an hour to head to Trader Vic's.

"It's not terribly decomposed, but scavengers got to it pretty badly. There's no way for us to identify the victim with what we have except for dental records. I'm assuming that with Dr. Brennan already in town she can look over the remains soon."

"Not until after this weekend. She has some promotional work to do for her book."

"I understand. When will you speak to her about the case?"

"After the weekend is over. As it is, there's not a whole lot I can do on this until Monday, so after we speak to the coroner, I'll be heading out. If anything comes back on an id, you'll need to leave a message. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

XxXxX

"No personal questions. I mean that." Tempe looked at her agent as a make-up artist applied a cream to take away some of the redness around Tempe's eyes.

"I can't guarantee…"

"None. I won't answer them. Is that understood?"

"Yes. I'll go talk to Harrison right now." Brandi left Tempe alone as she sought out the host of the show. Harrison wasn't too far away, and was being briefed by his personal assistant, Pamela Vasquez.

"Just ask her about the dedication. While she's talking about him, that's when it'll happen," Pamela said in hushed tones. Brandi pursed her lips together as she approached the host.

"Mr. Warner, I have a request from Dr. Brennan that you refrain from personal questions currently."

"That might prove difficult, Babe."

"And why is that" Brandi crossed her arms. Tempe was too good of a client to screw this up for her. Pamela smiled at the publicist.

"A special guest has been arranged for Dr. Brennan."

"Why wasn't I told about this?"

"Because it's a last minute program change. It's not something that can be skipped."

"Fine, but just so you know, this will be the last time one of my clients is on your show."

Brennan watched her publicist argue with the host of the show and another woman. She shook her head. Why was it so difficult to leave her personal life out of an interview? Her heart jumped to her throat when she spotted a man watching the argument from the shadows. _Booth!_ He stepped out to speak to the woman and Brennan sighed sadly. He looked a lot like Seeley, but his hair was lighter and he had green eyes. _Stop it Temperance. You're starting to see him everywhere. It's just wishful thinking._

"Okay, everything's set Tempe. The interview will start in just a few minutes."

Booth watched from the shadows as Temperance sat next to the host of the television show. She was obviously uncomfortable sitting there. The host of the show, Harrison Warner looked at Temperance and smiled slowly.

"Dr. Brennan, I understand you do a lot of identifications for the FBI."

"I do much more than identify the remains. I also help find out the cause of death."

"So you must work closely with your partner. Close enough that you dedicated your latest book to him." Temperance looked at Harrison, her jaw clenched tightly.

"Where are you going with this?"

"It's just that people don't dedicate a book to someone they don't care deeply about." Booth took that as his cue and moved stealthily around the camera crew, making sure to keep hidden from Temperance.

"Harrison, forgive me if I'm reluctant to speak about my private life. It's just that my partner is currently in Galveston, and I haven't heard from him. I'm worried that he might be…"

"Right here?" Booth stepped up behind her and tilted her head back so she was looking up at him. She gasped just before his lips descended on hers. He felt her arms slide up over his head, pulling him closer to her. She grasped his bottom lip between her teeth as he did the same, and sucked lightly on it. After several seconds, they broke apart, and Brennan sprang from her seat to embrace him.


	11. Chapter 11 Finally

A/N: Wolfy, here's a shout out just cause I have to give one to my twin, Siapom, thanks for looking this over and telling me it was good…again. Jaed, how'd I do on my first solo scene, and BonesDBchippie I'm looking for a rockin' review, as always.

With Brennan's arms wrapped around him, Seeley pulled her close and kissed her again, smiling briefly against her mouth as she reciprocated enthusiastically. The surrounding host, production crew and restaurant patrons cheered for them as the kiss broke.

"I thought you were…I saw your belt buckle…I was so worried. Why didn't you call?" She whispered as she clutched him to her. Live television be damned, she had Seeley back.

"My luggage was stolen from my room and my phone died. Is Angela watching this?"

"She said she would, why?"

Angela sat in her office at the Jeffersonian with Zack and Hodgins. Zack had his ears covered as the high-pitched girlish squeal issued from Angela. On the screen, they watched as Booth turned to the camera with a grin.

"Angela, you're going to shatter glass if you do that any louder." Angela immediately covered her mouth, but continued to dance around the office. Hodgins watched her; amused that she was so happy over their reunion. When the artist looked at him, he held her gaze for a long moment before returning it to the television screen.

Back at Trader Vic's, while they were no longer in an embrace, Temperance refused to let go of Booth's hand, in an unconscious attempt to make sure he was really there. Harrison looked from one to the other, a large smile on his face.

"Well, the world finally gets to see Special Agent Seeley Booth, and I must say if you can elicit a response like that, you must be something special." Booth gave a little half smile and glanced quickly at Temperance.

"The response is mutual. I've worked with Temperance for years, and have nothing but the deepest respect for her abilities, and it goes beyond a professional relationship… obviously. This woman is worthy of every emotion and every bit of the respect I hold for her." Temperance blushed a little at the words, and for once couldn't think of a single thing to say. Harrison returned the attention to her at that moment.

"How did this partnership start, and how did it get to this point?"

"I've worked with Agent Booth for a few years, but mostly on a consultory basis. He would bring remains to be examined, I would look them over and report my findings."

"I'll admit at first I didn't put much store into her work, but she was right every time. And when she was able to give me the description of a murderer and murder weapon based solely on autopsy x-rays, I thought she was trying to do my job," Booth added.

"He burned me. I left shortly after to identify victims of genocide in Guatemala, and upon my return to the States, he had me held for questioning by Homeland Security because he needed my help and I refused to speak to him again."

"Homeland Security?" Harrison laughed.

"She wouldn't work with me, so I had to do something. At any rate, when she said the only way she would work with me was to be full partners on all cases I brought to her, I agreed."

"And it's been smooth sailing ever since?"

"Not at all. This man is the most arrogant person I have ever worked with in my life. He constantly undermined me, but…I trust him, implicitly."

"Does your personal relationship affect your work relationship? If you're fighting, for example, how do you handle it?"

"Temperance and I have worked together far too long to let personal feelings get in the way of an investigation."

"Dr. Brennan, do you bring elements of your real life into your fiction?"

"Only in as much as my personal career is concerned."

"And how do you feel about the movie, Bred in the Bone? Is it a thrill to have your work going up on the big screen?"

"I was grateful to Ms. Marshall for allowing me to consult on the details, which would be important, which could be removed and not have the story suffer. I've enjoyed her films in the past, so I'm sure she's done a good job on Bred in the Bone as well."

"Well, thank you Dr. Brennan for your time, and I hope we get the opportunity to speak again." Harrison extended a hand to shake Temperance's. She reluctantly let go of Booth's to return the courtesy. As they went off air, Jared approached along with Brandi.

"So this is the illustrious Temperance Brennan." Jared extended his hand to Tempe who took it with a smile. "I'm Jared Booth."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jared. Booth's said some wonderful things about you."

"I don't know about 'wonderful'…" Booth grinned at his brother.

"Oh, gee, thanks. I suppose you'll be with your woman all day?" Brandi took this opportunity to step forward. She took in Booth's appearance with a critical eye. He still wore his jacket, t-shirt and jeans from the day before, not having had the chance to get new clothing.

"Temperance has several appointments today, but I'm sure we can find a way to squeeze in some private time for the two of you, after we get you something decent to wear. You can't go to a premier looking like that."

"Yeah, heaven forbid I look like shit." Seeley muttered under his breath. Tempe looked at him and fought a smile.

"Well, if you're joining us, we need to go. Tempe's next appointment is in half an hour." Brandi huffed and ushered Temperance away from the set. Seeley looked at his brother, who was highly amused with the entire situation.

"I suppose I shouldn't expect you back this evening?"

"Funny." Booth shook his head and hurried after Temperance and Brandi. They made their way to a waiting car and piled inside, Brandi sitting in front with the driver. Tempe's hand immediately sought Seeley's, and she looked at him.

"Booth, if your phone died, how did you know I'd be in California?"

"I didn't. Another set of remains was discovered. I flew in last night at the request of the Los Angeles Field Office. Jared mentioned you were in town after he picked me up from the airport."

"I need to see the remains…"

"Later Bones. I told Agent Finn you wouldn't be available until Monday. You have the entire weekend to do whatever it is you need to do. Besides, I've already arranged to have the x-rays and soil samples sent to the Jeffersonian. They'll be there bright and early on Monday for you team to look over."

"But…" She tried again. Seeley kissed her, cutting off the protest. Brandi turned around to look at the pair, her blackberry holding the day's schedule.

"Not to interrupt, but I believe we can squeeze in some time for Mr. Booth here to get something suitable to wear at around four. Right now we have your hair and nail appointment, then at three, you have a book signing in Hollywood. After that, we'll have some time for your 'partner' then it's back to the hotel to change for the premier. You've been invited to a few after parties, so all you have to do is choose where you want to go."

"Why exactly do I have to attend one of the parties?"

"Tempe, darling, we've discussed this. You have to connect with these people. It's good for your career."

"My career is identifying remains. Writing is more of a hobby for me."

"Well, whatever. The point is that your books are incredibly popular, and Hollywood is not going to leave them be. They will be all over you to get those books up on the big screen. You need to make connections." Brandi glanced at Seeley, who only smirked. He felt Tempe squeeze his hand hard in annoyance. He turned to look at her, and the irritated expression on her face told him she knew what he was thinking. He chose to stay on her good side and keep his thoughts to himself.

XxXxX

Booth sat in the waiting area of the hair salon, waiting for Temperance and looking at an outdated People magazine. He tried not to focus on the fact that Brandi was staring at him, but it finally got to him. He looked up over the magazine at her.

"What?"

"You won't have any time alone with her, not with her schedule."

"I'm sure we can find time."

"Tomorrow, she's supposed to do some interviews with local press, it'll be an all day process, then on Sunday, she has a few book signings to attend. No time."

"I'm not intending to interrupt her schedule, but I also know that she won't be busy twenty four seven." Booth looked back down at the magazine. Brandi looked at him thoughtfully for a minute, and then smiled.

"Let me see what I can do." She stood and left the salon, pulling out her phone as she did so. Seeley took a moment to look at Bones. He smiled at her when she glanced at him, enjoying the slight blush that covered her cheeks. She fought a smile of her own as she turned away from him again. Booth's thoughts returned to their conversations while he was in Galveston and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. _No use thinking about that right now_. With a sigh, Seeley leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. With at least an hour to go, he could try to take a nap while he waited.

When Tempe's hair and nails were done, she hopped out of the chair and paid for the work. Booth was still sleeping, and with a smile on her face, she strode over to him. She reached down and ran a hand through his short hair. He muttered something and shifted in the seat.

"Seeley, wake up. We need to get going." She shook him slightly.

"Beautiful." He said the word audibly. Temperance frowned at him.

"Who is?"

"Temperance." Brennan's heart pounded in her chest. For some reason the admission meant more coming from him while he was asleep. She smiled and shook him a little harder. This time his eyes opened and he looked around, confused. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, we are. Come on sleepy-head." She offered a hand and pulled him up from the chair before they made their way out to the waiting car.

The next hours were agony for Booth, not because he was bored, which, if he were to admit to it, he was, but because Brandi insisted on being a chaperone, as though he and Bones would play hooky. It was finally five in the evening, and both were at Tempe's hotel room changing for the premier. With an irritated sigh, Booth waited for the opportunity to use the rest room as Brandi talked on the phone. He didn't mind giving Bones the time she needed, but the publicist not leaving the two of them alone was beginning to irritate him.

"All the details are set for tomorrow," Brandi said to Seeley as she snapped her phone shut.

"What?"

"Tomorrow. I've cancelled Tempe's appointments and arranged for you to spend the day together. I thought you might like to do something fun, so I've arranged a tour guide for you at Disneyland."

"We're going to Disneyland?"

"Yes, and in an effort to stay in Tempe's good graces the movie studio that produced 'Bred in the Bone' has agreed to foot the entire bill. Anything you want while you're there, they'll pay for. You should have fun."

"Huh. I never thought about taking her to a theme park. Thanks Brandi."

"Don't mention it. Only thing it means is that she'll be extra busy on Sunday."

"I'm sure that's fine. If you don't mind, I'd like it to be a surprise to her."

"For once, my lips are sealed." She offered him a smile, and winked. The bathroom door opened, and Tempe stepped out. Booth looked at her and thought he had never seen anything quite so beautiful. The gold dress she wore shifted around her frame delicately, and brought out the red of her hair and the blue in her eyes. Tempe looked at Booth and blushed. She'd never seen him look at her so intensely before.

"The bathroom's free if you need it," she said, suddenly shy. It was an emotion she wasn't used to feeling. Seeley nodded and made his way to the room. She watched as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. Brandi looked at her client with some amusement.

"You're a lucky gal. Not many people can find a man like that."

"He is something else." Tempe smiled and sat down to wait. She really wasn't up to going to the premier. All she wanted to do was spend some time with Seeley, but that time alone wasn't coming soon enough for her. As she and Brandi waited for Booth to dress, Tempe's mind wandered back to her conversations with him while he was in Galveston. _No use thinking about that right now, certainly not with my publicist here_. With a sigh, Brennan took a seat. The wait for the end of the evening was turning longer than she wished.

Booth and Brennan walked down the red carpet hand in hand. Tempe's newfound acceptance of their relationship was both surprising and refreshing. This openness was something Booth wasn't used to, but he was going to enjoy it for as long as it lasted. As they approached the Grauman's Chinese Theater, Booth let go of her hand and leaned toward her ear.

"Do you think they have a balcony here?"

"You'd know better than I would, why?" She turned her head slightly to look at him.

"It might give us a little privacy." He winked at her as his meaning sunk in.

"Booth!" He lifted his head away from her to laugh, but found her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. He laughed as she held him that way, the spontaneity surprising. He leaned back down toward her ear, whispering once again.

"Oh, don't tell me you wouldn't want some alone time right about now." Booth placed a gentle kiss on the pulse point behind her ear. She shuddered and leaned back into him. Booth kissed her once more and pulled her into the theater, both of them rather reluctant to be there. As they sat, waiting for the movie to start screening, Booth sighed a little. He felt like a teenager on a first date that was hoping to score at the end of the evening.

"Booth, what's wrong?" Temperance put a hand on his thigh and turned to look at him. He placed his own hand on top of hers and rubbed soft circles over her smooth skin.

"Nothing's wrong."

"Yes, there is. I heard you sigh."

"It's nothing, really."

"No, it's not. You always pester me when you think something is wrong, and won't let it go until I tell you. What's wrong?" Booth could hear the irritation in her voice. He leaned in close to her so that he was whispering into her ear.

"You really want to know? Fine. I don't want to be here right now. What I'd like to be doing is picking up where we left off in Galveston, only…in person." Tempe shivered a little at the implication and felt herself growing warm at the thought. Booth placed a hand on her knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze as the lights dimmed for the movie to begin. Brennan looked toward the screen, but wasn't really paying attention to anything happening on film. Her mind was entirely focused on the sensation that his hand on her thigh caused. She shivered again, before a wicked thought overcame her. She turned to Booth and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Booth, can I borrow your jacket," she whispered. Booth turned to face her.

"Are you cold?"

"No."

"Then why would you need my…" He lost his train of thought when he noticed the impish expression she wore. "Oh." Booth quickly removed his jacket and handed it to Temperance. She gently laid the jacket on her lap and moved closer to Booth. His hand was still on her knee, but slowly, agonizingly moved up her leg until…

"Mmmmm," Temperance moaned slightly, trying to keep quiet. To the rest of the theater, Seeley looked cool, calm, and collected. Looks however can be deceiving. He shifted slightly in his seat as Temperance's hand on his thigh inched higher. _Oh, god. I can't believe Bones is doing this in a public forum. I can't believe she's…_ Booth groaned a little and shifted again as her knuckles brushed against him. While both remained facing forward, the movie was the furthest thing in their thoughts. Both were concentrating very hard to not make a sound to give themselves away.

As Booth rubbed her through the silky material of her panties, Temperance gripped the arm of her chair tightly. She had never been so glad to have a dark environment to cover her as she fought to control her reaction to Booth's touch. He wasn't even contacting her skin directly, but still had little surges of sensation shooting through her.

Booth squirmed slightly in his seat as Tempe's hand gently caressed him through the material of his pants. He could feel the change in her pace as she fought for her own control. If she kept this up, it could be a bit embarrassing for him once the film was over. With his free hand, he reached for hers and gripped it tightly. Bones looked at him with glassy eyes as he concentrated fully on her. Booth leaned toward her and whispered in her ear.

"You can finish what you've started later." His voice was ragged, and the rawness of the sound sent a shiver of warmth to Tempe's core. Booth kissed the side of her neck, his tongue darting out and touching her pulse point. Tempe felt her control slipping rapidly as her body tensed under his skillful ministrations. When she thought she couldn't stand it any longer she felt the waves of release strike from her core. Unable to hold back the sound, She gasped loudly, and in her passion flooded brain thought it was odd that everyone in the theater seemed to gasp at the same time.

"Booth, what just happened?" she whispered as she turned her gaze on him. He let a smirk slide onto his face as he leaned in closer to her.

"I'd think you'd recognize an orgasm when you felt one." Brennan felt the words more than heard them. She tried to give him a disgruntled glare, but her brains still was not functioning correctly. At least her breathing was under control.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"I just got shot in the film," he snickered lightly. Tempe smacked his arm, but then leaned comfortably against his side as he moved his hand to her shoulders. He kissed the side of her temple and turned his attention to the film. Brennan closed her eyes contentedly. If she reacted to him that way when he wasn't even touching her skin, then how much better would it be when they were finally together?

The movie having ended, Brennan chose the after-party closest to the Grauman, which was at the Roosevelt, only a block or so away at Hollywood and Highland. The atmosphere was electric as music thumped and Hollywood's elite mingled, not that Brennan knew who any of them were. Thank God for Booth. Seeley pointed out various celebrities to Temperance and explained who they were as best he could, though she still remained pretty clueless about the whole thing.

"Over there is Tobey Maguire, he was in the Spiderman movies. And there is Colin Farrell."

"I know who he is. He's funny. Wait…that's Will Farrell." Angela's once spoken word were brought to her mind. _Funny is Will Farrell, hot is Colin Farrell._ Booth gave her a smile, and then raised one of her hands to his lips to kiss. They continued around the room with Booth continually pointing out the A-listers. After a short time, he excused himself for the restroom. Tempe felt a little out of her element among all these people she should have heard of until she recognized a familiar face.

"Matthew! It's nice to see you again." She smiled at the handsome man as he approached.

"I saw you on TV this afternoon. Glad your partner turned up okay."

"Thank you."

"Would you like to dance? You shouldn't be standing in the shadows. You are sort of the woman of the hour after all." Matthew held out his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Brennan took it. He took the lead as a jazz song began to play. Matthew watched, fascinated as Temperance began to smile. "What's so funny? I'm not a good dancer?" His tone was light.

"It's nothing. I just remember Seeley quoting this song once." Her mind drifted back to that day. _He stood next to her in the lab, invading her personal space as he berated her for trying out online dating._

"_Whatever happened to seeing someone across a crowded room…that old black magic gets you in its spell."_

"_There's no such thing as magic Booth."_

"_Oh, there's magic."_ Temperance looked away from Matthew's bemused expression and spotted Seeley watching her from across the room. The words, once seeming flippant held much more meaning for her now.

That old black magic has me in its spell

That old black magic that you weave so well

Its icy fingers up and down my spine

That same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine

The same old tingle that I feel inside

And then that elevator starts its climb

Down and down I go, round and round I go

In a spin, loving the spin I'm in

Under the old black magic called love

Seeley strode across the room purposefully. He wasn't jealous, exactly. The fact that Brennan's eyes fell onto him the moment he re-entered the room spoke volumes to him, so did the way her face lit up. Matthew spun Temperance out away from himself and directly into the waiting arms of Seeley Booth.

"You were right Booth." Booth looked at her as though her head had just flown off her shoulders.

"I'm right? About what?"

"There is magic." She smiled softly at him, and gasped as he pulled her close to him as the song came to an end. The next song began and elicited a sly grin from each of them.

"Black magic seems to be a theme right now," Booth said as 'Black Magic Woman' began. The latin beat of the song led them to a new dance as Seeley held her close, their hips and legs moving in unison. Every time their bodies made even the slightest bit of contact, it felt like an electrical charge running through them. Booth spun Tempe out away from him, and when he pulled her in, her leg hooked up around his waist. He ran his hand up her thigh, and moved his lips down her neck before letting her go and falling into a rhythm again. Temperance turned slowly until her back was to Booth. Her hips swayed seductively against him as she slowly descended to the ground, her body brushing against his with every move. She rose as slowly as she had descended, her arms on his legs and sliding up against him until they rested on his hips.

Booth wrapped an arm around her and dropped a kiss onto the side of her neck, moving down toward her shoulder. Seeley grasped one of Tempe's hands in his and spun her out again. As she came back, she placed her hands on his chest and let them slide to his waist. They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment before Temperance spoke.

"Do you think we've mingled enough here?"

"I'd say that's a definite yes." Booth grabbed hold of her hand and led her from the party. From another section of the room Matthew watched the pair leave with a disbelieving shake of his head. He turned to his date for the evening, Tammy Jean, to see if she had witnessed the same thing he had.

"You know, if I ever wondered what it would be like to sleep with her, I think I have my answer."

"Yeah, and Seeley ain't bad either."

Temperance fumbled with the key to her hotel room as Booth peppered kisses onto her neck and cheek. Her hands shook slightly as she finally got the key to swipe in the door allowing them entry. They quickly made their way inside, slamming the door shut behind them as Booth pressed Temperance into the door, his hand in her hair and his mouth on hers. She slid her hands under the edge of his jacket and pushed it back towards his shoulders.

"This…jacket…needs…to be off…you," she said between kisses. Booth unwound his fingers from her auburn locks and assisted in pulling off his jacket, neither of them caring as it fell to the floor in a heap. Tempe placed her hands onto his shoulders and forced him around until his back was to the wall. Booth wrenched his lips from hers and began to trail kisses down her neckline and to the point of the 'V' of her dress. He traced the line of the dress with his tongue back up to her shoulder before reaching behind her and grasping for the zipper.

As the zipper descended, Booth felt the silky feel of her skin under his fingertips. He reached back up and pushed the dress from her shoulders, watching as the fabric pooled to the floor. His eyes roamed over her. The overhead light shone down on her, almost setting her auburn hair to flame. Her panties sat on the edge of her hips and were a combination of lace and satin that accentuated her curves, as did the matching bra.

"Stunning." Temperance beamed at him, then reached up to unbutton his shirt. Her hands shook as she fought with the offending article of clothing, distracted as she was to have Booth's lips on hers again. Once his shirt lay on the floor with the other articles of clothing, Booth brought his hands to her body, caressing her, pressing lightly into her musculature until he reached her breasts. His hands encircled them, his thumbs gently flicking over her nipples, hardening them. Tempe arched into him and gasped as his mouth left hers and descended to one of her peaks. He sucked on it through the fabric of her bra as Tempe's hands slid down his back and made the return trip back up, her nails digging into his skin.

Booth moved his hands behind her back and unclasped her bra before pulling it from her body. He stood again to look at her and felt her reach for his pants. With shaking hands, she undid the belt before popping the button. She slid the zipper down and pushed off his pants. Booth struggled to get them off for a moment as he kicked off his shoes and removed his socks. Tempe giggled then, which made Booth look up at her, slightly confused.

"Thank you. This could have been ruined if you'd left those socks on." Seeley grinned at her, slipped his arms around her waist and walked her backwards to the bed. As she fell onto the soft material of the comforter, Booth grabbed hold of one lag and began to kiss a trail from her thigh to her toes, pulling her sandal off as he went. Brannan's breath hitched as he flicked his tongue against the sensitive skin on the back of her knee. He repeated the process with her other leg before lowering himself over her. His lips sought the soft skin of her taut stomach, and he kissed a trail down her, stopping momentarily to dip his tongue into her belly button. She gasped and arched up towards him.

Booth slid his hands under her back and moved them until he grasped the hem of her panties. As he pulled them off her, he kissed the exposed skin, savoring each sexy moan that escaped her. His mouth descended onto her center, and he could feel the heat of her arousal as he darted his tongue between her folds. She gasped and thrust her hips towards him.

"Seeley, please." It came out more a moan than actual words. And at the sudden lack of touch from him, Temperance raised her head to look at him. He had moved away and was fishing through a pocket of his pants. "What are you doing?" Her brain was fuzzy and she was having trouble contemplating what was going on. As he ripped the wrapper off of a condom, it clicked. Booth pulled off his boxers and as he made his way back to her, he rolled the protection on himself before settling between Tempe's legs. He caressed her thighs and looked to her for permission. He saw the permission there in her passion hooded eyes.

Booth slid into her, groaning in pleasure at the feel of her around him. He thrust deeply, withdrawing almost completely before sliding back in. With one arm gripped around her hips for better control, Seeley stroked her nub in rhythm with his own movement. Temperance was having trouble thinking. Hell, even breathing was becoming a challenge as Booth moved in her. She felt like she was going to slip farther off the bed as his pace increased. As her arousal built, she slid a hand across her body and drew circles around her own nipple. The sight of Temperance caressing herself drove Booth to the breaking point. Harder and faster he moved, trying to hold back enough to bring her with him. He felt her body tense, then arch as her muscles squeezed against him. With a fierce, final thrust, he collapsed forward against her, breath labored. After a moment to gather himself, Booth looked up at Temperance with a tired smile.

"Worth the wait."


	12. Chapter 12 Happiest place on Earth?

A/N: If the Disneyland facts in here detract from the story, I apologize, but we all know our resident forensic anthropologist loves facts, and Booth loves pop culture, so…enjoy the chapter.

Booth woke in the morning as a single ray of sunlight fell from between the curtains of Tempe's hotel room. He turned his head to look at her as she slept peacefully by his side. He placed a gentle kiss to her temple and brushed a few errant strands of hair from her face. She looked angelic to him as she slowly opened her eyes and offered him a sleepy, yet satisfied smile.

"Good morning, Beautiful." He offered her a kiss on the lips.

"Morning to you too. What time is it?" She scrubbed a palm over her eyes to wipe the sleep from them. Booth glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

"Six thirty." Brennan put her head back on Seeley's shoulder and sighed.

"You'd think I'd actually be able to sleep in for once."

"Well, it's a good thing you aren't. We have a big day ahead of us."

"I know, all those interviews," she groaned. The rumble of laughter from his chest rolled through her, and she found it oddly comforting.

"Actually, those have been rescheduled. You have the day free, and I have a surprise for you." Temperance sat up and looked at Booth curiously.

"How did you manage that?"

"I used all the charm I could muster." He grinned at her as she shook her head, amused. Tempe crawled onto his hips and looked down at him as she straddled his body.

"And what, exactly did you have in mind for today?" She leaned forward to place kisses on his chest. He groaned as she flicked her tongue lightly over his nipples.

"After this? It's a surprise." He sat up, placed his arms around Tempe's waist and pulled her to him, their mouths meeting fervently.

XxXxX

Julie arrived at the Tour office in Disney's California Adventure at eight o'clock in the morning. She was dressed immaculately; her black slacks, white dress shirt and plaid vest pressed and crisp. Her hair was pulled back away from her face, and the light makeup she wore added to her professional appearance. She looked to her supervisor, Dean as she sat down near his desk.

"So who exactly is it I'm meeting today?"

"Dr. Temperance Brennan. This tour's really important, priority entrance, and here's the credit number you'll be using today." Dean handed the items over to Julie as she got up and grabbed her tour issued black purse. She took the priority entrance card and credit slip, put them in a small pouch, then looked over her appearance.

"Am I meeting them at the porte de cochere?"

"Yup. She's expected to be here at eight forty five, so head on over there now. It's a small group today, just Dr. Brennan and one guest." Dean handed an envelope with tickets to the two theme parks to Julie before she headed from the office. "And Julie? Have fun today."

XxXxX

Temperance looked out the window as Booth drove up to the Grand Californian Hotel.

"Booth, where exactly is it we're going today?"

"Disneyland." He glanced at her as he put the car in park. She looked like a little kid as her eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Yup. You know, I never would have pegged you for the amusement park type."

"I always wanted to go. My parents just never headed out west with us," she shrugged. They both got out of the car and handed the keys to a porter. From near the hotel's large stained glass doorway, Julie stepped forward to greet them.

"Dr. Brennan? I'm Julie. I'll be your guide today. Wherever you want to go, or if you have any shows you want to see, just let me know and I can set it up for you." She extended out her hand and smiled when Temperance shook it.

"This is Seeley Booth, my…boyfriend." She looked up at him and grinned. Julie offered Booth a smile, then motioned for them to follow her into the hotel to head for the park.

Booth watched Temperance as she stepped through the gates of the park. She looked like a kid in a candy store. He'd never seen her acting so much like a kid, and it was nice to see. Straight ahead of them was the large 50th anniversary logo the theme park had adopted, along with a photographer. Booth tugged on Brennan's hand and dragged her over for a picture in front of the logo. After a picture together, they had Julie join them for another. As the picture was snapped, something occurred to Booth.

"We don't have a camera, do we?" He looked at Brennan. She shook her head.

"That's fine. I can pick one up for you at the photo supply store. No need to worry about anything today." They moved on to pass under the arches and onto Main Street. The perky music added immediately to the feel of a turn of the century midwestern town. Brennan grasped Booth's hand excitedly as she looked around at the buildings and old style vehicles. A small band played at one side of the street, while some of the characters posed with guests at the other.

"Booth, this is amazing, the thought that was put in here, wanting the culture of small town America to come across, although in a much more idealized fashion. I mean, look, there's City Hall, a firehouse, picture show. It's fascinating!" Brennan grinned as she looked at the buildings. Julie watched her enthusiasm as well and pulled a pen and sticker out of her purse. After writing for a moment, she handed the sticker to Temperance.

"This is your first time here, right? Any questions you guys have just ask. I'm a wealth of knowledge." Brennan looked at the sticker Julie handed her. It had her name scrawled on the front of it and read 'First Visit to Disneyland'. Seeley was shocked when she peeled the sticker from its backing and placed it on her shirt. An odd wave of pride fell over him as he watched her letting herself relax and just enjoy the day. He took her hand in his as they began to walk down the street. A hat shop sat on the corner of a cul-de-sac, and when Booth saw it, he smiled.

"Hey, Bones. There's one thing we absolutely have to do while we're here."

"Oh, and what's that?" She looked at him curiously as he dragged her to the hat shop. She looked around at the store items. While they had some that were relatively normal bucket hats and baseball caps, there were others that were quite unusual. One looked like a wart hog that would make flatulent noises when you squeezed the tongue. Another was like the Mad Hatter's hat, while another looked like a wizard hat with mouse ears on it. Brennan looked at Booth curiously as he turned to her with a grin. He wore a pair of gold mouse ears with 'Booth' written across them. From behind his back, he produced a second pair of ears and set them on Tempe's head. Before they made it, she saw the name written on them.

"Honestly, Booth, isn't that a little immature?"

"What? You are Bones." He laughed and walked out of the store. After a mumbled curse, Tempe followed him out and jogged to catch up as he headed for the castle. Temperance looked back at the town square as she moved, taking in all the details of the buildings. Julie stopped the pair and pointed to a window above the firehouse.

"You see that light up there? Well the part of the building directly above the firehouse is Walt Disney's apartment. He would stay there while they were constructing the park. Whenever he was in, he would leave a light on in that window, so after he passed away in nineteen sixty six, a light has been left on in that window as a tribute to his memory."

"And the light's always on?" Brennan looked from the building over to Julie."

"Yes, except around Christmas time when we have a small tree up there." Temperance absorbed the information as they continued moving up the street. At the far end stood the castle, drawbridge down over a small "moat" that two swans swam serenely through. Out in front stood the Disney princesses as they took pictures with park guests.

"Oh, let's go meet one of them!" Tempe looked over at the characters with a little bit of longing. Booth laughed, and began to laugh harder at her indignant expression. Julie took the moment to disappear into the Photo Supply Store that they stood next to. "What's so funny?"

"You. I've never seen you like this, all giddy. It's cute."

"I can't help it. If there is one thing I know quite a bit about, it's Disney movies. I used to love going to them as a kid. The last one I saw before…well the last one I saw was 'Beauty and the Beast'. I always wanted to be Belle. I even dressed up like her that year for a Halloween party." Booth shook his head in amusement at the idea of Temperance dressed up for Halloween. Julie came back out of the store with a camera for them. With a laugh, they headed over to the castle to meet the princesses.

XxXxX

"Booth, those skeletons aren't accurate. There's no way they'd be able to remain standing like that once all of the flesh and ligaments had decomposed." Temperance whispered as they rode on Pirates of the Caribbean. Booth looked at her in the darkness and shook his head.

"Bones, it's just a ride. There's no need to analyze everything. Just take it for what it is, you know, fun."

"But it's not accurate."

"You know Dr. Brennan, the bones in the headboard there are real." Julie pointed to an elaborate headboard on a bed. Brennan wasn't close enough to accurately look the bones over, but she could see them well enough.

"Female, probably about twenty five, and based on the features of the skull probably Indian." Booth just shook his head, while Julie looked at Tempe in fascination.

"You can tell that from all the way over here? Wow. That's amazing."

"Not really. Once you know what markers to look for, it's pretty easy."

"So she says." Booth grinned. He put his arm around Brennan's shoulder and pulled her closer, kissing her temple.

"I'm just saying that if they are going for an accurate portrayal, then the bones wouldn't be standing up like that."

"The point is to entertain, not to be accurate. It's a little thing called suspension of disbelief. Just sit back and enjoy it, okay."

"Fine." She sighed and crossed her arms in front of her. Booth only smirked at her. It was impossible for her to look seriously disgruntled while wearing Mickey ears.

XxXxX

"You are so going down Booth!" Brennan fired the laser gun at the targets in Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters. Booth laughed as he took aim and hit a triangle. He noticed the huge jump in his score and smiled. _Look for the triangles_.

"That's what you think! You're the one going down Bones!"

"You wish!" She looked over at him and grinned. Booth just looked at her with a smirk and shook his head. After a moment, Brennan began to blush. "I didn't mean it like that." Booth laughed and hit another triangle target. With a frustrated sigh, Brennan began shooting at targets again. He was not going to beat her if she had anything to do about it.

As she watched Booth's score climb higher than hers, she quickly grabbed the small control lever and jerked the car to the side facing away from the targets.

"Hey, no cheating!"

XxXxX

"Look, all I'm saying is that Walt Disney is very much a God figure. There are effigies of him that are sold in the stores here, and the idol worship…"

"Idol worship? Where do you get that from?" Booth was incredulous.

"The light on in the apartment, the opening day speech at the base of that flagpole on Main Street, The statue of him with Mickey up by the castle. They are very obvious markers for a religious practice."

"So you're comparing Walt Disney to Jesus?"

"Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha… People see him in such a profound way that he has become more of a religious figure than anything else."

"Well that's ridiculous. You can't put the man in the same category."

"You know, she's not that far off. This attraction here? It's Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. Whenever any change is suggested for it, the guests, and most especially annual pass holders get up in arms about it. There are just certain attractions that are here because Walt designed them. Taking them away would be akin to removing something in the Bible to many people." Julie added to the conversation as they sat down in the small, oddly shaped theater. There were mock-ups of parrots and other exotic birds above their heads, along with canoes of flowers and tiki totems on the walls.

Booth moved to retort, but stopped as the host of the show, an older man by the name of Maynard stepped into the room. He was bald, somewhat skinny, and had a hawk-like nose. His expression was somewhat manic, as was his energy level. He looked over the audience and rubbed his hands together.

"Welcome to the tiki tiki room. We allow Munchie-munchie and drinkie-drinkie, but no flashy-flashy or smokey-smokey, okey-dokey?" With that he went to the corner of the room to grab a long stick. Booth chortled a little, and leaned in toward Brennan.

"That guy looks like, if he wrote stories, he'd leave a cliff hanger every chapter."

XxXxX

Brennan got off of Grizzly River Run at Disney's California Adventure, completely soaked. She held her arms around her as she shivered. Her clothes and jeans clung to her, and her hair hung limply against her neck. Seeley didn't look much better. He was just as wet as she was.

"I can't believe you talked me into going on that ride," Brennan snarked. Even though she knew her clothes would dry, she didn't fancy wearing wet jeans all day. Booth pulled at his shirt in an attempt to keep it from sticking to his body. Julie looked at the pair, relatively amused at their expressions.

"If you need some clothes, I can take you to a store that carries just about everything."

"Please. I hate the feeling of wet clothes," Brennan said as she shivered slightly. Julie led them to a nearby shop that had all sorts of shirts, jeans, shoes, everything. The two looked around trying to find something to wear. Booth picked up a bowling style shirt and grinned. The shirt was brown, with cream sleeves. It had a logo in small on the front and the same design larger on the back that read 'Grumpy's Tavern'. It had Grumpy on the front with a large, foaming glass of beer.

"Hey Bones, what do you think?" Booth held up the shirt with a grin. Temperance looked at it, her head tilted to one side. She smiled slightly and shook her head, amused. She had her own shirt picked out, a blue shirt that stated I love Goofy Guys on the front, along with a pair of khaki Capri pants.

"Nice. Are you planning to wear that the next time you go bowling?"

"Sure. You wanna go with me and Parker next time?" Booth pulled the clothing off Brennan's arm and placed it on the counter to be purchased along with his selections. Julie handed over the credit slip to take care of it. Brennan stepped closer to Booth and placed her hands on his chest.

"You know, I was thinking about that, and thought that maybe, when we have some time, we could go down to Orlando and take Parker to the parks there. I'm sure he'd love it."

"Seriously? You want to take Parker and me on a vacation with you?"

"Why not?" Booth pulled Brennan up to him and kissed her soundly on the lips.

"Thank you."

XxXxX

They stepped off of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, laughing. The multiple story drops on the ride had literally been breathtaking. Just before exiting into a themed store, they looked to see the picture taken during the drops. In the picture, Temperance gripped Booth's leg with one hand while her other was plastered to her head holding on her mouse ears, Seeley was looking at her, obviously laughing, and Julie just looked nonchalant as she applied makeup.

"Okay, we have to get that one." Booth laughed.

"We already have one from that looping coaster and that really dark one…Space Mountain. Why do we need this one?" Temperance asked.

"Because, Bones. It's all in good fun." He flashed her his charm smile, to which she just rolled her eyes.

"That, and I'm sure you want to show Angela you were able to get me on this thing."

"You know me only too well."

XxXxX

"Oh, Bones, you are so dead!" Booth chased after Brennan on Tom Sawyer Island after she dropped some ice down the back of his shirt. She laughed and ran ahead of him across a barrel bridge. He stomped carefully across the bridge, reached out for Brennan and grabbed hold of her. As she laughed, he threw her up over his shoulder and ran towards the caves that dotted the island. He put her down just as they reached the entrances because they were so low, and dragged her inside.

Dark twists and turns led to hidden nooks. Booth pulled Tempe into one and sought her lips with his own. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body closer to his as she deepened the kiss. After a moment, she pulled away as her mind registered that they were in a family oriented park.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," Seeley grinned. He grabbed her hand and led her back out of the caves to relocate their tour guide.

XxXxX

"This is such a positive message, the idea of a united world. The song's right. It is a small world. Our similarities are far more numerous than our differences." Tempe said as she looked at the little dolls dressed in the idealized costumes of the countries they represented.

"Yeah, but the song's enough to drive you crazy."

"Booth, you make it sound like someone would snap if they heard the song too much."

"Come on, you can't tell me that hearing this song for eight hours a day wouldn't drive someone crazy."

"Well, personally, I think you're far more likely to tune it out after awhile."

"Yeah, then it sits there in the back of your brain and you suddenly find yourself snapping, and killing some young innocent thing while whistling the tune."

"Booth, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my life."

"I'm just laying it out there as a possibility, that's all."

"No you aren't. You're trying to provoke me into an argument."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"No."

"Yes."

"Fine."

"Fine." Both crossed their arms and sighed exasperatedly. Julie just looked between the two of them and laughed.

XxXxX

Booth and Temperance walked through Tomorrowland as they shared cotton candy. While they had been through the area before, they hadn't been on all the attractions yet. Ahead was the last attraction they planned to do for the evening, Autopia. Julie led the two of them down to the loading deck and turned them over to the ride operators there.

As Booth and Brennan waited, he turned to his partner and leaned close to her ear.

"Hey, Bones, guess what." The phrase sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine as the words caressed her ear.

"What?"

"I'll even let you drive this time." Temperance sent a glare towards Booth as they were ushered into their little car. Temperance began to argue back as they drove away onto the track.

Julie watched from the exit platform above the track. She hadn't had so much fun on a tour in a long time. The two were so amusing in their exchanges that it was entertaining just listening to their conversations. As she waited for their return, a man approached and stood next to her on the platform.

"So, you're the one with Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth, right?" Julie turned to look at the man. He was quite good-looking, and his smile would be enough to make any heart flutter.

"That's not for me to say."

"Well, I've seen you with them, so…"

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"I just need you to pass along a message for me."

"Oh really, and what would that be?"

"Just tell them that Jeff says hello." He offered her another smile and walked away.

A/N: I know, I know, you all think I'm evil now. Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions for date day at Disneyland. I had fun writing this one, and please forgive the slight coding here, but I encourage you all to visit maynardland (dot) com to see the real life Maynard. The one that works at Disneyland, not my muse.


	13. Chapter 13 Killer Games

A/N: Okay guys, sorry about the wait, but Maynard's head got a little big from being allowed in the last chapter. He decided to make me wait to post this. It's a little shorter than the others, but hopefully still as good. And with that, I hope you enjoy this chapter of Six Stages.

Booth and Brennan got back to the loading dock and climbed up the stairs to meet Julie.

"You two have fun today?" the tour guide asked as the pair met her again. They left the platform and headed for the entrance of the park.

"Absolutely." Booth grinned at Temperance and took hold of her hand.

"While you were on the attraction, some guy named Jeff stopped by. He said he knew you and to say hello."

"Did you say Jeff?" Booth met Tempe's gaze for a moment before returning his attention to Julie.

"Yeah, why?"

"Son of a … Bones, pull out that souvenir picture from the Tower of Terror." Tempe reached into the bag and pulled out the picture. Booth looked at it and cursed under his breath. While they were in the front row of the attraction, Jeff sat in the back row, staring right at them. Booth turned back to Julie. "I need to have a call sent out with this man's description. He's wanted for two counts of murder."

Julie pulled out her phone and got hold of her supervisor. "I need Security One by Autopia, now. Yes, it's an emergency." She snapped the phone shut. "They'll be here in a minute."

"Thank you, Julie." Temperance offered the girl a smile and squeezed Booth's hand a little tighter. What had been a wonderful day now felt tarnished and dirty some how. "Booth, we need to get the camera sent back to Angela. She can digitize the pictures and see if he's in any of the others."

"Sure thing." He offered her a tight smile, and turned into full business mode as the head of Disneyland security approached him with a couple of officers.

XxXxX

Morning hit and both Temperance and Booth hadn't slept at all. Both stared up at the ceiling of the hotel room, a million thoughts running through their heads. How had he known they'd be at the park? Was it coincidental, or had he some how found out? If he found out, where did he hear it? Any number of sources could have been is information, but it looked on the surface like Brandi was his connection to them. She was going to have some hard questions to answer.

Tempe rolled over and placed her head on Booth's shoulder. He reached to her and began to stroke her hair, neither of them saying a word. When the phone rang, the two looked at each other before Brennan pulled away to answer.

"Hello?"

"Sweetie!"

"Good morning Angela."

"So I have to ask…" Temperance sighed and looked at Booth. He wasn't paying attention, just remained staring at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"Everything's going fine. Well, was going fine. It's sort of going fine, which makes it okay, I guess." That response elicited a glance from Booth. The corner of his mouth quirked up before he turned away again.

"Ooookay. That's an odd response. You two aren't fighting are you?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Well I refuse to believe that the sex was bad."

"Ange!"

"What? I'm only saying… besides, with the amount of tension you two have been experiencing of late, it would be impossible for the sex to be bad."

"The suspect we've been looking for…"

"Jeff?"

"He was at Disneyland yesterday, and followed us around the entire time. Ugh. I don't like those little games."

"You two are okay, though, right?"

"Yeah. We didn't get back to the hotel until about three in the morning. Security at the parks looked for him for hours. The day was great up until then."

"Well, you two be careful, and I want you back here as soon as possible."

"That might not be a viable option, Angela. Another body turned up. That's why Booth's here."

"So this is going to be Hollywood Hooker case number two for you."

"Not a fair assessment of the situation. She was found in Yosemite National Park, but the remains were sent down here." A knock sounded on the door, drawing Brennan's attention to it. She glanced quickly at the clock and groaned. "I've got to go, my publicist is here."

"All right, Sweetie, I'll talk to you later. Glad stage four is going okay except for that stalking thing." Brennan heard Angela's laughter as the call ended. She grabbed a robe, threw it on, and made her way to the door. Before opening it, she turned to look at Booth.

"You might want to put something on." She offered him a tired smile as he grabbed his chili pepper pajama pants and pulled them on. She opened the door as a very exuberant Brandi.

"Good morning, Sunshine. My you look exhausted. Must be nice to be so…involved with someone." Brandi's gaze flickered over to Booth. "And good morning to you too handsome."

"Brandi, this really isn't a good time…" Tempe began, but was cut off by her publicist.

"Nonsense. It's a fine time. Now hurry up and get dressed. You've got a very busy day ahead of you Agent Booth, I hope you don't mind me stealing her away from you."

"No stealing, not today. She's not going out of my sight."

"But you're really going to just be in the way."

"Doesn't matter. Wherever she goes, so do I. Now, if you don't mind, we need to get ready, and I would prefer it if you wait down in the lobby."

"What? Why?" Brandi looked from one to the other for an explanation.

"Yesterday, a suspect found us at the park, and we're just covering all bases to keep Temperance safe."

"You think I had something to do with it?"

"Not necessarily, but I'm not willing to take that chance. I'm sure you understand." He offered her a smile, but the look in his eyes showed how serious he was. Brandi gave him a tight nod, then left the room. Temperance looked over at him, an eyebrow raised.

"That was a bit unnecessary, wasn't it?"

"Bones, think about it. She's the only person who should have known we were going there outside of our tour guide, and whoever arranged the tour. That's like what, maybe five people total? What are the chances that his appearance there was coincidental?"

"But my publicist?" Booth looked at Temperance, and an understanding passed between them. The forensic Anthropologist nodded and opened the bathroom door. "Okay, I see your point, but Seeley?"

"Yeah?"

"Just remember, not everyone we run into today is out to get me." She winked at him before closing the bathroom door behind her.

XxXxX

"Yes, I want the camera and film couriered overnight to the Jeffersonian Institute. No offense to you or your team, but the forensic artist at the institute is probably one of the best, and she has access to equipment that will be far more valuable to my needs than your department does." Booth paced as he spoke to an FBI agent, his eyes never leaving Brennan or the line for her book signing. He had been able to get another cord for his phone two days previous, much to his relief.

Temperance glanced over at him and offered him a small smile. She looked exhausted, and had been on the go for almost eight hours straight as she was shuttled form one book signing or interview to another. And after not getting any sleep the night before, both of them were struggling to stay awake. Brandi approached Booth as Temperance began to speak to a teenager getting an autograph.

"Yes, that's fine, just make sure that it gets there tomorrow. I want the analysis done as soon as possible, and I want to see the crime scene, so make whatever arrangements you can to get myself and Dr. Brennan up there." Booth sighed and glanced up at the ceiling as he listened to the agent on the phone. "I'm sure one room is fine. Thank you. I'll see you in the morning." With that he shut the phone and turned to Brandi.

"Agent Booth, I just wanted you to know that this is the last of her appointments today."

"Thanks." Booth pulled out his notepad and pencil. "You don't mind answering a few questions for me, do you?"

"Of course not. Whatever I can do to help."

"Who did you speak with to plan the day yesterday?"

"Well, I had to reschedule five interviews, and fit them in between the signings today…then call the production company that made the film, and they arranged directly with Disneyland Special Events for the tour."

"So how many people are we talking about here?"

"In total, I'd say maybe ten, eleven. I can provide you with a list of names."

"Perfect. Please make sure that all names and numbers are at FBI headquarters here in LA tomorrow morning." Booth scrubbed a hand over his eyes in an effort to stave off the sleepiness that was encroaching.

"Sure. I'll call and have my office put the list together." Brandi offered the agent a smile before pulling out her phone to make the request of her workplace. The last person in line had just left, and Temperance stood up, stretching. Booth made it over to her, offering her a smile.

"You ready to go back to the hotel, Babe?"

"Babe? Is Bones getting a little tiresome for you?"

"Stop it. You know what I mean. How are you holding up?"

"Probably about as good as you are."

"Well, the good news is, you're done for the day. No more interviews or book signings to deal with."

"Thank goodness. I don't think I could have lasted through another question regarding our moment together on television." She took his hand as they headed out of the bookstore, Brandi walking ahead of them to get the car ready. As they passed by the magazine racks, Booth shook his head and picked up a copy of People. Their picture was on the front cover.

"Wow, we even beat out Tom and Katie. I'm impressed."

"Who are they, Tom and Katie?"

"Don't worry about it, Bones, let's just get back to the hotel and get some sleep."

XxXxX

Angela showed up early at the Jeffersonian, the People Magazine under her arm. With her best friend out in California, Angela had, for some reason, decided to show up early and be the resident workaholic. Plus, she hoped that the extra time might allow her to find something that they might have overlooked. This morning, she found a package waiting for her. Curious, she opened it and found a camera inside of it. With a shrug, she took it to the dark room to have the film inside of it developed.

XxXxX

Agent Leah Swinney put the package in the mail. She smiled, knowing that the package being sent to Los Angeles would be truly appreciated. It had taken her a day or so to track down the reporter who had filmed the belt buckle, but she finally had it and was shipping it out to Special Agent Seeley Booth in Los Angeles.

XxXxX

Temperance woke up early after about ten hours of sleep. She was starving, and hadn't eaten since at least four the previous day. Once she and Booth had made it to the hotel, they practically fell onto the bed, asleep. She rolled over and snuggled closely into Booth's chest. She ran her hand over his muscles, enjoying the feel of his skin under her hands.

When she felt him stirring, she smiled slightly and began to pepper his bare skin with kisses. Booth wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss in her hair.

"Well, this is better than a wake-up call anytime." He smiled as she readjusted her position to look him in the eye.

"Oh, I can do a lot more than this."

"Really? Do I get an on-site demonstration?"

"I think that can be arranged." Tempe moved closer to him and kissed him, opening up to allow him access to her mouth. He slid his tongue in slowly, savoring the taste of her. She moaned a little as she met his tongue with her own, rubbing it against his. Booth pulled her to lay across his body, and ran his hands down her back until they rested lightly on her bottom. She broke the kiss and gasped as he squeezed.

Putting her hands on his chest, she pushed herself into a sitting position, effectively straddling his hips. His penis lurched as he watched her slowly run her hands down the front of her body, finally reaching her center.

"Temperance, you're trying to kill me, aren't you."

"Not my intention." She closed her eyes and bit onto her bottom lip as Booth slid a hand up her thigh and buried his fingers into her center, feeling the moisture of her arousal there. He held his fingers still as she rocked over them. His arousal became harder, and pressed up between their two bodies. Tempe brought her hands to his shaft and encircled it, pumping it in rhythm to her rocking. Booth sucked in a breath and shifted in the bed until he was sitting up. He brought his mouth to one of her nipples, his free hand encircling her other breast. Tempe moaned and arched toward him, letting go of him and bringing her hands to her hair. He held onto her nipple with his teeth and flicked his tongue over the hardened nub. Booth began to pump his fingers inside her, feeling her hips rocking faster against him. She moaned again.

"Seeley, please." Booth withdrew his hand and gripped her hips as he raised her and set her down on his shaft, reveling in the feel of her warmth around him. His lips sought hers, and they met, this kiss fiery. Temperance wrapped her arms around his neck and shifted, raising up and down, her legs flexing and relaxing on either side of him, her tongue doing the same as it rubbed across his. Booth moved his hands to her hips, and thrust his own, meeting her as she came down. The pace quickened, and they could feel themselves closing in. The broke the kiss, each of them tightening their grip on the other as waves of pleasure washed over them. Tempe sagged into Booth, and felt his hands slide up onto her back as he embraced her and kissed her temple.

"That's definitely much better than an alarm clock any day."

XxXxX

Brennan looked over the set of remains before her carefully. This set of remains was different; the bones were almost entirely pulverized. This damage wasn't from a short fall. Brennan put her hands on the edge of the examination table and sighed. She looked at Booth, who sat in the room with her, but was refraining from watching her.

"Booth, these remains are…where exactly were they found?"

"At the base of Half Dome, in Yosemite, why?"

"These bones are so fractured, I have to reconstruct the remains as though it were a jigsaw puzzle. The pattern seems to be consistent with what we've already found, but this is going to complicate things quite a bit."

"I already have Agent Finn running a search through the database for any missing persons filed for twenty five to thirty year old females that worked at a strip club. Hopefully we'll come up with a hit soon, now that we know what to look for."

"Narrowing it down to include girls who are in school for a masters degree might also help. So far, both Callie and Shelby were going for a master's degree. I'll have the bones cleaned, and have a dental x-ray made to see if we can get a match, but I want the skull sent to the Jeffersonian as soon as possible."

"Of course. I had the camera and film sent over last night, so Angela should have it. I'm also trying to get the sales records together from Disneyland of all purchases made by us and see if our guy was stupid enough to use a credit card shortly after we made purchase."

"This guy's smart, Booth. I doubt he'd make a slip like that."

"Well, the most important transactions are going to be those for the souvenir photographs. They can pull up the number and get a listing of all purchases of that photograph. If we're lucky, that's where we'll get him."

"And if we're not?"

"Then hopefully the park rangers and forensic teams up in Yosemite overlooked something, because you and I are going to check out the scene."

"With the amount of bone fragmentation here, it's quite possible Booth." Bones quirked up her lips into a partial smile. "But, I'm betting that you just wanted a chance to go to Yosemite."

"It's standard procedure to check out the crime scene, Bones, that's all." He flashed her a charming smile and watched as the quirk in her lips turned into a full-blown grin.

"Well, there's that too. I think it might be wise to have Zack and Hodgins fly out to help at the crime scene. We'll need whatever help we can get to find any missing pieces."

"I'll put in a request with Goodman, and if he approves, then we'll fly them into Sacramento and meet them there. I believe it's the closest large airport to Yosemite."

"Great. If you could take care of that, I'll start to see what I can do about these bones." She offered him a smile before he left the room. As the door closed behind Booth, she sighed and began to sort through the bits of bone. This was going to take awhile.


	14. Chapter 14 Frustration on all fronts

A/N: Sorry this one's a little shorter than the others, but I figured it was time for an update, and seeing as how I have a nasty cold and am in a somewhat snarky mood, I decided better be short than long and frustrating. Not that it isn't frustrating mind you, but, you know. Anyway, hope you enjoy, and I'll try to get my next post in sooner.

Angela stepped out from the dark room with a fresh batch of photographs. She flipped through them, smiling at the content. Her favorite of the group was one of Brennan over Seeley's shoulder, her head up, and laughing as light glinted off of the gold mouse ears she wore. As Angela grinned down at the pictures, she bumped into a very excited Hodgins.

"Angela, did you hear? Booth requisitioned us to go out to California!"

"Really? Did he say what for?"

"No, but I'm betting that Dr. Brennan will tell us when we conference with her."

"Have you heard from her yet today?"

"No, but we'll be connecting with her in about an hour. What's that?" He asked when he noticed the pictures she held. She held them out to show him as they walked toward the examination platform.

"Bren and Booth at Disneyland. Aren't they just the cutest?"

"I don't know about cute…Why is that guy always in the back ground?" Hodgins pointed to a figure in the background of the pictures. Angela looked at them and frowned.

"I think that's Jeff. Bren said he'd found them at Disneyland." She flipped through the pictures and began to frown. He was literally in every single picture. "God, I would hate to know that this guy ruined my day after the fact. He literally did follow them around."

"Man, Booth must be pissed about the whole situation."

"I'm sure he is. Ha, I'd hate to be this Jeff guy once they track him down."

"No kidding. Poor guy won't see what hit him."

"And by what hit him, I'm assuming you mean Booth's fist to his face?"

"That, Hodgie, is exactly what I mean." She offered him a grin and bumped him with her shoulder before they rejoined Zack at the examination platform.

XxXxX

Booth drove up to the television studio and flashed his badge to the gate security guard. He was waved inside after his name was checked in the visitor's log. Booth looked over the information on his contact, the first of several that he had to meet with today. His contact here was Susan Jessops, a Public Relations Specialist for the news station. With a sigh, he climbed from his rental car and headed into to the building.

The receptionist looked up at him, boredom evident on her face.

"Can I help you?"

"I have an appointment with Susan Jessops."

"Name, please?"

"Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI." The girl looked up at him again, her face splitting into a wide grin.

"You're the kiss guy!" She reached to her desktop and held up her People Magazine. "That was so hot. It was just like the kiss in Spiderman."

"Susan Jessops?"

"Oh, right, sorry." She picked up the phone and rang the PR specialist. After a brief conversation, she hung the phone up. "She'll be here in a minute. So, was that at hot as it looked?"

"Excuse me?"

"That kiss, was it as hot as it looked?" Booth was saved from having to answer as Susan appeared from around a corner.

"Agent Booth? I'm Susan Jessops." She shook his hand and nodded toward her office before heading off there. Booth followed, relieved to not have to endure an interrogation from an overly excited receptionist. "I must admit, I was rather surprised to hear you wanted to speak to me. What is this in regards to?"

"I'm looking for a suspect in an investigation that is currently underway, but we've had no luck with tracking him down. Have you ever seen this man?" Booth slid the sketch done by Angela over to Susan. She looked at the picture and frowned.

"I can't say as I have, Agent Booth. I'd remember someone who looks like this."

"Ms. Jessops, besides yourself, who else knew that the interview with Dr. Brennan was rescheduled?"

"That would be the reporter and photographer who were scheduled to meet with her."

"Would it be possible to speak with them?"

"Of course, just give me a few minutes and I can have them in the office." She picked up her phone to make a call, and Booth looked at his watch. With the number of additional people that seemed to be popping up, this was going to be a long process.

XxXxX

Temperance stood over the remains from Yosemite, trying to ignore the stiffness building in her back from hunching over the table as long as she had. Surrounding the table, were three large screens, the center one suddenly flickering to life as Zack's face appeared on the screen.

"Zack Addy! I live to serve. Wow, Dr. Brennan, is that our latest Jane Doe?" Tempe looked up from the remains to the face of her young assistant.

"Yes, Zack. Did Booth get in his request to Dr. Goodman?"

"If by request, you mean having us fly out to California to help in your investigation, then yes. He did."

"Good. Do you know when you'll be arriving?"

"Wednesday. We're flying out early. Are we really going to Yosemite National Park?"

"Yes, we are. We're going to visit the site where the remains were found in case any evidence was overlooked."

"Sweetie! The pictures from Disneyland were great." Angela announced as she appeared on one of the screens. "I especially love the picture of you slung over Booth's shoulder."

"Angela, make sure you bring with you everything you'll need for a facial reconstruction. Unfortunately, we won't be able to use the Angelator for this one."

"Not a problem, Bren. So, are you all pumped to go to a sexy place with your honey?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh come on, you can't tell me that you aren't secretly looking forward to being in a beautiful location with the FineBI agent of your dreams."

"This is hardly appropriate conversation to be having in a work environment, especially considering that I'm in the field office."

"Oh, come on, it's not like the entire world doesn't know you're with booth now. That kiss was hot, by the way." Angela grinned as Brennan ran a hand over her face and sighed. Hodgins popped up on the third screen, his blue eyes sparkling excitedly.

"Hodgins, I'll need you to look over the evidence collected at the scene, and see if it's consistent. All of the victims thus far were dropped over the edge of a cliff, and we need to isolate exactly what point that was."

"Of course, Dr. Brennan. Could be any number of places in Yosemite." He looked at the remains on the table and frowned. "Wow, what happened to those? It looks like something decided to turn bone into a fine pate."

"The remains were found at the base of a cliff, and were recovered after predatory scavenging took place. I'm betting that the forensics team didn't check out the actual crime scene, just the recovery site."

"That could lead to a lot of evidence corruption."

"I'm sure we're all aware of that, but it's something we have to deal with. Now if you have anything to add, other than thoughts about my personal life," she gave a stern look to Angela, "then I'll see all of you on Wednesday." With that, she flicked off the three screens and returned to her remains, desperately trying to pick through the mess and make some sense out of them.

XxXxX

Booth was on his last interview. Thank God the studios are close together, he thought as he walked toward the receptionist. He flashed her a smile and watched for what felt like the hundredth time that day the look of comprehension followed immediately by 'the Spiderman kiss guy'.

"I have an appointment with Jacen Seaver."

"Of course." The young woman behind the desk blushed slightly as she made the call to Jacen's office. Booth paced a little, mostly to avoid eye contact with the girl. He'd figured out rather quickly that if he didn't look at the receptionists, then he could avoid any awkward questions they might pose. The sound of clicking heels drew his attention to a nearby hallway.

"Agent Booth? I'm Jacen. It's a pleasure to meet you. You've caused quite a buzz around here." She held out her hand and smiled when Booth took it, and shook firmly.

"So I've noticed."

"Please, follow me to my office. We can talk in private there." Booth nodded and followed her to her office, which he found to be quite welcoming despite the modernity of the furniture. He sat in the chair indicated and waited for her to get settled before speaking.

"You might be curious about why I'm here."

"The thought had crossed my mind Agent Booth."

"There is a suspect that I'm trying to track down for questioning in regards to a current case, though I haven't had much luck with finding him. I'm hoping you might have some insight into this."

"I don't see how, but I'll do what I can to help." Booth slid the artist sketch over to Jacen and watched as her eyebrows raised, and a surprised expression overtook her face. "This is Jeff."

"You know him?"

"Yes, he was in my office when Brandi called regarding the set up for Disneyland."

"So he overheard the conversation then?"

"Yes. He was sitting right where you are."

"And do you have a last name for Jeff?"

"Thomason. His name is Jeff Davis Thomason."

"Ms. Seaver, it's imperative that I get an address for him. I'd prefer not having to get a warrant for the information."

"Of course. Let me call our HR manager. She can have it brought down." Jacen picked up the phone and seemed slightly shaken as she dialed the extension for the HR manager. Booth felt as though God were finally smiling down on him, having finally gotten some new information for the case. He watched as Jacen wrote down an address, then hung up the phone. She handed the slip of paper over to Booth, then placed her hands nervously onto her lap.

"Ms. Seaver, are you okay?"

"Does this have anything to do with that Cliffside Strangler case?" Booth looked carefully at her and noticed how nervous she looked.

"Do you have information regarding the case?"

"If Jeff is involved, then yes, I think I do."

"Anything you can tell me will help."

"I think it's my fault he's doing this."

"How is it your fault?" Booth pulled out his notebook and a pen, and turned his attention completely onto Jacen. She sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Jeff's always seemed like a nice guy, if not slightly unhinged. I never figured he'd be dangerous, but you never know about people nowadays, right? Well, he's a location scout for this production company, so he's away the majority of the time, scouting out places for our movies. He generally gets calls when he has an assignment, so he's on the road quite a bit. Within the last few months, he's been to Virginia, South Carolina, Texas, Washington DC, Northern California, Arizona, Nevada and Wyoming. I know those bodies turned up in at least three locations."

"But how is that your fault?"

"Jeff and I went to high school together, and he always had a bit of a crush on me. I always just thought of him as a friend. Anyway, when I went to college, he went into the military. He came out such a charming and much more outgoing young man, but I was in a relationship, so I was off limits, not that he didn't try. He tried to play the poor me card, and being somewhat sympathetic, I told him that if a woman was smart, she'd readily accept him. He asked me if that meant Master's Degree smart, and it didn't occur to me that he was hinting at his interest in me again.

"I told him yes, and a few nights later, he cornered me here at the office and confessed that he was in love with me. I was horrified, because I'd been dropping hints for months that I wasn't going to leave my fiancé for him. He didn't take the news very well, but at least he's been civil towards me since then."

"And when did that happen?"

"Within the last few months, just before he left for Washington DC."

"Ms. Seaver, thank you. You've been invaluable in this investigation." He stood and handed her his business card. "If he contacts you at all, please let me know."

"Of course, Agent Booth."

"And please remember, this isn't your fault, none of it. He's the unhinged one, not you." Booth offered her a smile before leaving the office. Finally, he had a break in the case that would be helpful. He had a name, an address, and he was going to catch the son of a bitch before he could kill again.

XxXxX

Brennan blinked her eyes tiredly as she worked on the remains. She had managed to piece together most of the skull, and was now working on the rest of the shattered skeleton. She could still see the indicators she was looking for, the broken hyoid, compression of the spine, or in this case, the shattering of it, as well as the breaks in the legs, which showed the remains to be consistent with those of their other two victims. She stood up to stretch her back, then snapped off her gloves and answered her phone as it began to ring.

"Brennan."

"Bones, we've got him!"

"You found Jeff?"

"We've got his address, and I'm heading there with some local police right now."

"Why didn't you come get me?"

"Under the circumstances, it would have been impractical. The sooner we can get there, the better."

"All right. Just be careful."

"Will do, Babe. I love you."

"Love you too." She hung up the phone and frowned. When had she grown so used to fieldwork? She needed to stay in the lab to reconstruct these bones, but would much rather be out with Booth looking for the bad guy. She shook her head. Booth, she'd much rather be with Booth. With a half smile she turned back towards the waiting remains, but was interrupted by the sound of footfall.

"Dr. Brennan, I have the missing person's report for Agent Booth." Tricia Finn said as she entered the lab. Brennan looked at her and held out her hand as Agent Finn handed the report to her.

"Thank you Agent Finn." Brennan began to look at the list, but then looked up when she realized that the FBI agent hadn't moved. "Is there anything else?"

"Uh, no, not really. So when did this thing with Agent Booth begin? I so thought you two had something between you when you were last out here."

"Agent Finn, that is frankly none of your business. Now if you don't mind, I have work to attend to." With that, she turned her back on the agent, not waiting to see whether or not she left the room.

XxXxX

Booth reached the address before any backup had shown up. He glanced at the building, then back down to the slip of paper in his hand.

"Son of a…" Booth let out a frustrated sigh. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back in frustration. The address given to him was to a Mailboxes, etc. He wouldn't be able to get any information until he had a warrant in hand.


	15. Chapter 15 Return of the Buckle

A/N: I know, I know, it's been far too long. I hope this chapter lives up to the others in this story as it has been so long. With that, I hope you enjoy, and I'll try to post again soon. I really want to finish this one up, so I'll try to work on it as much as I can.

Temperance looked at Booth, concern evident in her eyes. He was so frustrated from the chase earlier that day, and was beginning to take it out on everyone else. They were out of the hotel and staying with Jared, who wisely left for the evening to stay over at his girlfriend's house. As Booth flipped through the sports channels on the television, Brennan left to wander around the enormous house. The room which she was sharing with Booth was large and done tastefully in various shades of blue, giving the whole atmosphere a calm feel. She hadn't had time to really look around, so she stepped into the attached bathroom. Obviously the house was a dual master. The bathroom was huge and sported a large Jacuzzi tub. The corners of Tempe's mouth quirked up as she turned on the water. As the tub filled, she went back to the living room, grabbed the remote from Booth and turned off the television.

"Bones, what the hell?"

"Come on, you need to relax a little."

"I was relaxing just fine thank you very much."

"No, you weren't. Now get up and follow me." She tugged on his arms and he stood to follow her.

"What's going on?"

"You'll see, Booth. Just trust me, okay?"

"Of course I trust you." He quirked his eyebrows when she led him to their room, but bypassed the bed. Then he heard the running water in the bathroom. Temperance stopped moving and turned to him.

"I'm expecting you to get undressed and get into that tub. The jets will help you relax." With that, she left the room and headed into the bathroom to check on the water. It was at just the right level, so she turned off the faucet and started the jets before undressing herself. Booth stepped into the room and smiled when he saw her naked form.

"You're joining me?"

"Of course." She smiled at him over her shoulder as she stepped into the large tub. Booth followed immediately, and found himself sitting in front of her in the tub. She said nothing, but began to knead his neck and shoulder muscles. Booth closed his eyes and began to relax under Tempe's skilled hands. He leaned back closer to her and felt her readjust her position and wrap her legs around him. "Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"What thing are you most proud of?" Booth turned to look at Temperance briefly before turning back around.

"My son. He's probably the single most important thing in my life, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost him." He sighed and closed his eyes again. By the change in Tempe's ministrations, he knew she was thinking of her own answer.

"I'm proud of us, of what we do at work everyday. I don't want that to end."

"Neither do I Temperance." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. She stopped her massage and wrapped her arms around him, running her hands up and down his chest. "Okay, my turn. In one word, how would you describe God?"

"Are you sure you want me to answer that?"

"Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't have asked."

"All right. The one word I would use to describe God is a myth."

"Well, I suppose I should have expected that one. I'd have to say all-encompassing."

"Booth, that's two words."

"No it's not. It's hyphenated. Why is it so difficult for you to believe in God?"

"If God loves the earth so much, why do such terrible things happen? Why do people leave? God isn't real. Humans, by their curious nature, question everything, and in the past, when they didn't have knowledge of how the universe worked, they invented religion as their answer to those questions."

"Bones, did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe there is a God, and the reason that bad things happen isn't because He doesn't care, but because he gave us free will? You can't change free will, so people are responsible for their actions."

"Then what's the purpose of God?"

"Because you're rewarded for the good you do. If you are devoted, and are a good person, you will get your rewards."

"I don't know if I can ever believe that, Booth."

"It takes faith." Both were quiet for awhile, just enjoying being together. Temperance's hands continued to circle on Booth's chest and his were caressing her long legs, wrapped around his torso. "Thanks Bones."

"For what?"

"For this, for suggesting this."

"Anytime." Temperance shifted again, untangling her legs from Booth. He turned to look at her as she crawled around him and planted herself firmly on his lap.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, it occurs to me that I never finished what I started at the movie premiere." She smiled at him and reached below the water, caressing him. His initial surprise immediately gave way to reacting to her touch.

"Oh man, Bones." Booth shut his eyes and groaned as her hand circled up and down his shaft, sliding up over the head and down again. With her other hand, she cupped his testicles, squeezing them gently. Brennan smiled when she felt him press into her hand. She sped up her pace and pressed into the spot just behind his balls. Booth was amazed at how quickly he was getting to an orgasm. He reached over and stilled her hands, pulling her to him. He kissed her hungrily, one hand wrapping into the silky strands of her hair. She opened up for him, allowing him to slide his tongue across hers, rubbing and tasting.

Temperance slid her hands down his back, gently caressing the muscles as she reached his hips. Her touch trailed forward, reaching for his shaft once again. As she enclosed her hand around him, Booth broke from the kiss to look at her.

"No, I want to feel you around me," he rasped before meeting her eyes. She nodded and kissed him again. Booth ran his hands along her rib cage, fingering the underside of her breasts, making her squirm. He cupped her, running his thumbs over her nipples as she arched in toward him. His touch, she was discovering, was a heady impression, and at times, she felt as though she couldn't get enough of him. The dual sensations of his skilled touch and the pounding of the jets were almost overwhelming. She shifted and pulled away, turning in his arms and positioning herself just above the head of his penis. With a deep grunt, she slid down over him until he was buried deeply into her. Booth groaned and gripped her hips as he began to thrust. She threw back her head and leaned into him, gasping as a jet shot directly onto her center.

"Seeley…" she breathed, an orgasm rising rapidly over her as Booth continued thrusting, quickening his pace as he felt her get closer. When the wave of pleasure hit, it rocked through her intensely, her walls gripping tightly around him, milking him to an orgasm almost immediately. As the waves lessened in intensity, Booth thrust slowly into her a few more times until she collapsed back against him. She took a deep calming breath, smiling as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her shoulder.

"I've never…I mean, wow," Booth murmured against her skin, nibbling gently up onto her neck.

"I know exactly what you mean," Tempe answered, earning a chuckle from her partner. She pulled up and away from him, standing. Booth watched her move as rivulets of water slid down over her skin. She grabbed a towel and stepped from the tub, drying herself. Booth followed after turning off the jets and draining the tub. The pair crawled into bed and he pulled Brennan to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. With a contented sigh, he closed his eyes. Brennan placed her own hands over his and snuggled into him. He might not have his worries gone, but at least he was relaxed enough to sleep. She felt his grip around her tighten, and he mumbled something, making Brennan smile. He was so different in sleep, letting down his own walls, the ones he didn't realize he had. "Goodnight, Seeley," she sighed and closed her eyes, knowing the next day would prove to be a long one.

XxXxX

"We've tracked down the home address listed for Jeff Thomason, and we're sending an agent to investigate," Tricia Finn announced as she walked with Booth to the morgue. He nodded at the information, but paid little attention to it. "Also, a package arrived for you from the Houston field office."

"A package?" Booth turned to the younger agent and frowned. What could the office possibly be sending him? Tricia nodded and handed a small box to Booth.

"As soon as I have information on the new address, I'll get it to you."

"Great. Go ahead and just call my phone. I'll be leaving for Sacramento within the hour." The younger agent nodded and walked off towards her office. Booth continued on the way to the morgue, shaking the little package. He was curious to know what was inside of it. He pressed open the door, not surprised to see Temperance hard at work on the remains. "Have you found out anything else about our mystery girl?"

"No, but I've finally assembled all of the pieces. What's that you've got?"

"I'm not sure. It was sent from the Houston office. Can you have the skull scanned and send a copy of it to Angela?"

"Scan it?"

"Yeah, apparently they've got some three dimensional scan thing here that can recreate an item. I just figured if we could scan the skull, we might have a face to search the database with."

"Sure, I think I can get that arranged before we have to go." Brennan pulled off a glove and ran a hand through her hair. She watched as Booth fingered the box and opened it. Slowly, he reached inside, gently touching the item inside. He looked up, his eyes slightly misting.

"It's my belt buckle." He picked up the item and showed it to Brennan. She came over to him, her own feelings on the item were held barely in check.

"I saw that on the news, and I thought…"

"It was stolen from my hotel room along with everything else."

"Like your boxers?"

"You saw those too, huh?" She nodded, smiling a little. He offered her a grin back and bumped her shoulder with his own. "Well, I'll let you get back to those remains so we can vamoose." He offered her a wink before leaving. He didn't know how the buckle had been found, he was just glad to have it back.

XxXxX

Angela arrived at the Jeffersonian early once again. She made her way to her office and turned on her computer, wanting to check her e-mail before getting down to her work for the day. Ancient remains were all fine and dandy, but there really was no need to have a face to go with a fifteen hundred year old warrior. She did the work to corroborate, but it wasn't nearly as satisfying as working on a current case. Angela perused through her mail until she came across one sent by Temperance. It had a major file attached to it, which she downloaded onto the Angelator. As the image began to form, she smiled. The file was a stereo lithograph of a skull.

"It must be our Jane Doe," Angela murmured as she set to work. It would take her the majority of the day to enter in the tissue depth markers and work up the face, plus she needed to feed it into the FBI missing person's database. _Finally, some really satisfying work before a trip to California._ With a grin, she began to set up the algorithms needed to start the process. She'd have Zack approve the tissue depths when he came in, then she could finally add the skin. If she were lucky, they'd have the name before the end of the day, and would hopefully be one step closer to catching the murderer.

XxXxX

"How long until we get there," Brennan asked as they drove along Interstate Five. For the last two hours there had been nothing but farmland to look at.

"It takes six hours to go from Los Angeles to Sacramento, so we have about three hours to go yet." Booth glanced at her as she sighed and looked out the window.

"Why didn't we fly?"

"Because we could still get here in a day, and we don't have to keep renting vehicles."

"But there's nothing to look at."

"Oh come on, Bones. Look, there are fruit trees, and more fruit trees, and still more of them." Temperance shot him a dirty look. At least the trip from North Carolina down to Greenville had been pretty. This was just flat. Brennan sighed again and looked back over at Booth.

"Why strippers?"

"What?"

"Why does he prey on strippers? Why not other women. Clearly he's interested in intelligent women, but why does he pick his victims the way he does?"

"I'm no profiler, but if I had to hedge a guess, I'd probably say they make easier targets."

"They're smart women. How could they be easy targets?"

"Just because someone is smart doesn't give them a lot of common sense. Think about those people about ten years back in the Heaven's Gate cult. By all accounts, they were incredibly intelligent people that got hoodwinked by a charismatic leader. The same thing happens to these girls. A good-looking guy comes in, doesn't paw at them, just flirts and treats them well, they start to trust him."

"I don't know…"

"Come on, there had to be at least one guy in your life that you thought was great and turned out to be an ass." Two could pop into Booth's mind, David and Michael. Brennan thought about it and nodded.

"Okay, I guess I can see where you're going with that. It's just; those poor women are at his mercy completely."

"Well, don't worry about it. I had Tricia release his picture to the press, so hopefully we'll get in tips and he'll be apprehended before we get back from Yosemite."

"Hopefully."

XxXxX

Angela put the final touches on her reconstruction and began the search through the database. She watched the faces of multiple young women passing by until finally the computer stopped on a match. She copied the information about the young woman and picked up her phone. Bren would want to know as soon as possible.

XxXxX

"Dogwood."

"Booth, dogwood is not a flower, it's a tree."

"It's both a flower and a tree."

"It is not."

"Do you want to call Hodgins for confirmation?"

"No."

"Then let it go, Bones. Now where were we? Oh yeah, we're on the letter E. Um, the English Bulls' eye."

"What type of a name for a flower is that?"

"I don't know. I just know my mom had it in your garden. Now it's your turn."

"Feverfew."

"Nice one. Okay, um gladiolus."

"Hellebore." Temperance's phone rang, and she flipped it open as Booth thought of his next answer. "Brennan."

"Sweetie, we have her name."

"Iris," Booth said before Temperance shushed him. She dug through her purse for a pen and paper.

"What is it, Ange?"

"Zoe Elizabeth Anstess, from Cheyenne, Wyoming."

"Thank you, so much for getting right on this."

"No problem, Bren. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"All right. Oh, make sure you take the dog to Rebecca."

"Of course. What did you think I was going to do, take him with me?"

"I certainly wouldn't mind, but I'd hate to see something get him."

"Sure. You just don't want him attacking Booth again."

"Angela…"

"I'm going, I'm going." The artist laughed as Brennan hung up the phone.

"We've got a name for our victim, Zoe Anstess." Booth nodded and immediately pulled out his phone. It was another task to delegate, but he didn't want to keep running around the country picking up after this guy. Brennan offered him a gentle squeeze on his leg, but said nothing as the arrangements were made for an agent to speak with Zoe's family.


	16. Chapter 16 Onto Yosemite

Temperance flopped down onto the bed of the motel room and closed her eyes

_AN: I know, I know, it's been forever since I've updated this story. I hope you enjoy it and I will try not to have such a large gap between this chapter and the next._

Temperance flopped down onto the bed of the motel room and closed her eyes. They'd just spent the last four and a half hours driving through flat farmland. Considering that California had more mountains than any other state in the lower forty eight, they'd not seen them at all for hours. No, instead it was just flat farmland with lots of fruit trees, cultivated fields and cows. How could she forget the cows? She blew out a breath and rolled to her side, watching Booth as he came in carrying their bags. He'd been mildly impressed with the fact that she'd let him get their luggage without an argument, but wisely refrained from comment on the subject.

Once he was inside, he dropped their bags to the floor and made his way to the bed, flopping down next to her. They looked at each other for a long moment before Temperance smiled and leaned back on the bed once more.

"You know, I always thought that if I was going to see Yosemite National Park, I'd be doing it from a room at the Awhannee Inn."

"Well, maybe next time we do this, we can."

"That's after Disneyworld right?" Brennan smiled playfully at him as he pulled her into his arms and leaned down over her.

"We could always just come out here with Parker, although I'm sure if he had his pick we'd be going to spend the week with a five foot tall rodent."

"You never know. We could also go out to Arizona and visit some of the sites there like Canyon De Chelley, Montezuma's Castle, or maybe even Tuzigoot. The Anasazi culture is quite fascinating."

"All in good time Bones. For now, we need to focus on the case."

"If our victim was pushed from the top of Half Dome like we think she was, that's about forty eight hundred feet. Are we going to be hiking up?"

"Yeah. It's a fifteen mile round trip hike, and we'll be heading there as soon as the squint squad gets here from the airport. We'll be stopping by the field office here in Sacramento to pick up equipment bags that have been set up for us in preparation."

"So when do we leave in the morning?"

"Their plane lands at six, so we should probably head over to the field office now to get the bags. I don't think we'll have access that early."

"Fine, then why don't we find somewhere nearby to get something to eat? I could definitely use some food." As if in agreement, Brennan's stomach growled loudly. Booth chuckled and leaned in to kiss her on the lips.

"That sounds perfect." Though their plans were set, neither moved for a few minutes as they enjoyed being out of the car. Finally they left the motel room knowing that if they stalled any longer they would miss the opportunity to pick up the equipment packs.

XxXxX

"Did everyone and their mother see that damned interview," Booth grumbled as they made their way into Casablanca Moroccan Restaurant. At the FBI building, they were questioned by every agent they came across about their kiss on national television. While both had been polite about it at first, it quickly began to grate on Booth's nerves. Those agents were supposed to be professionals.

"Booth, I'm sure it's impossible for everyone to have seen the interview, and if everyone saw it, wouldn't that be automatically inclusive of their mothers?" Booth looked at her and shook his head at the grin on her face.

"Wow, you almost had me there. If you didn't know that expression, I think I would have cried."

"That would have been a sight to see, wouldn't it?"

"Hey." The pair stopped in the foyer of the restaurant as a greeter met them with a set of menus.

"Welcome to Casablanca. Is it just the two of you?" At their nods, the perky young woman continued. "Would you like a table or the floor?"

"Floor please," Brennan responded before Booth's puzzled expression was followed by a sarcastic remark. The greeter led them into the restaurant and sat them down at a low table, allowing them to get comfortable on the cushions surrounding the table. Booth looked around, clearly impressed with the authentic feel of the place.

"So this is what you meant by floor, huh?"

"Yes, it's common in the Middle East to sit around a low table on cushions, and I thought that you might enjoy the experience." Booth looked around the place and noticed a large, open stage before them.

"Are they supposed to have some kind of show?"

"I don't know, but if they do, it will probably be a belly dancer accompanied by a live band." Brennan glanced once up at the stage, and then turned her attention onto the menu. "We should try the haraymi."

"What exactly is that?"

"Fish that's been marinated in lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper and garlic. It's quite delicious. I had it while I was in Morocco assisting on a dig there."

"Okay, I suppose we could try that." Booth looked over the menu, trying to remember if he'd had any of the food listed during his time in the Middle East. The only thing that looked familiar to him was the couscous, which he'd had on several occasions. When he looked up from the menu, he found Brennan looking at him thoughtfully. "What?"

"I was just thinking that we could play a little game when we get back to the motel."

"Really? Because I was thinking that we should probably go to bed when we get there since we have to be up a four thirty in the morning."

"It's just a question and answer game like we've played before, but there's some incentive to it."

"Yeah? What kind of incentive?"

"We ask each other questions. If you ask me one, and I get it right, a piece of your clothing comes off. If I answer incorrectly, then I take off something."

"And what happens once the clothes are removed?" Booth leaned forward, much more interested in her proposition now. Temperance smirked at him and leaned back, making herself more comfortable on the cushions.

"Then a right or wrong answer will determine who touches who and where."

"I like the sound of that. Any other ground rules?"

"Just two. You can only ask questions you know the other should know the answer to, and lying will be punished."

"How?"

"It's the choice of the questioner, so long as both of us are comfortable with the punishment."

"You're on Bones," he smirked and began to think of questions he'd like to ask as the waitress approached to take their orders. Once the order was taken and they were again alone at the table, music began to play with a steady but unusual drumbeat. A dancer clothed in beads and chiffon came out, gyrating to the beat of the drums as other instruments joined in to create a melody that was sensuous and fast paced at the same time. Neither partner spoke as they watched the performance, enthralled by the absolute muscle control of the belly dancer.

XxXxX

"Seventy bottles of beer on the wall, seventy bottles of beer. You take one down, pass it around, sixty nine bottles of beer on the wall…." Hodgins and Zack sang the song as Booth cringed from the passenger side of the car. His punishment for lying the night before was to relinquish control of the vehicle for the remainder of the time in Northern California. It was better than some of the alternatives that Brennan had come up with, so he was trying to deal as best he could.

"Sixty nine bottles huh? Well that really sucks," Angela said with an innocent expression.

"Yeah, I'd say it blows," Hodgins answered back in reply before the pair let out a cackle of mirth.

"Yeah, okay, ha ha. Enough with the jokes. Can we please not sing that song?" Booth was clenching and unclenching his hands praying to God that another round of the song wouldn't start up again.

"Well then what else should we do?" Zack looked up from his position squished between Angela and Hodgins in the back seat.

"Oh, let's play 'guess where my hand is'. I'll start," Hodgins exclaimed.

"NO! No, absolutely not. No one is guessing where anyone's hand is, and that's final."

"Spoil sport," Angela said as she eyed the FBI agent from the backseat. "Booth, why exactly aren't you driving?"

"It's none of your concern Angela," he muttered before staring out the windshield, his arms crossed across his chest.

"He lost a little wager," Brennan said, disregarding Booth's earlier comment. She was beginning to enjoy the scenery as the Sierra Nevada mountain range came into view.

"Oh really? And what wager is that?"

"Just a little question and answer game. Booth told a little white lie and I had to punish him."

"Bones, can we please not talk about this?" The last thing the FBI agent wanted was for any of Brennan's team to know exactly what they did or didn't do for that matter the night before. Angela and Hodgins would take entirely too much pleasure in teasing him and that was exactly what Booth didn't want.

"So what kind of questions are we talking about here?" Angela leaned forward, excitement evident in her brown eyes.

"Any questions really. Last night we were asking questions the other should know the answer to, but any question works. Whoever is asked the question has to answer and truthfully."

"This is how the two of you spend your time when you aren't at the lab? Dude, no wonder it took you so long to hook up."

"Hodgins…" Booth began, but stopped when Brennan smacked his arm lightly.

"Hey, no threatening my team."

"No, that wasn't part of the deal." Booth crossed his arms like a petulant child as the artist laughed from the back seat.

"Well then, why don't we all play? I'm sure there are still a lot of things we don't know about each other. It could be like one of those team building retreats."

"Oh, I get the first question," Hodgins said and then cleared his throat. He looked at Booth and smiled. The FBI agent didn't want to know what the entomologist was about to ask. "What one thing are you most afraid of?"

"Oh, good question Hodgins," Angela said. Booth looked heavenward for a moment before he answered. It was one thing for Brennan's ex-boyfriend to have played this game with them, but quite another for the squints. At least David wasn't likely to use any of his answers against him.

"I don't like chickens." There was silence in the car for a moment before the three in the backseat started laughing.

"Dude, seriously? You don't like chickens? You're a bad ass FBI agent for God's sake." Hodgins continued to chortle at the answer.

"Hey, you try being a three year old with a huge rooster comes after you." The FBI agent glared back at Hodgins, daring him to keep laughing. The entomologist chuckled a little bit more, but brought it under control at the continued glare of Booth.

"Okay, my turn," Angela said as she looked at Temperance. "Sweetie, what was your favorite TV show when you were a little kid?"

"Sesame Street. I really liked cookie monster, but my brother was fonder of The Count."

"Well who doesn't love the count? One ah ah ah, two ah ah ah…" Everyone in the car chuckled. Brennan turned off the main highway and onto a side road leading into Yosemite National Park. Everyone in the car quieted down as Booth pulled out his id to show the gate attendant at the entrance of the park. After an escort was called for them, Booth turned around to look at the team.

"We're going to be joined by a park ranger who will take us to the site. The trail's been closed to everyone but us, but I still expect you all to behave yourself."

"Dude, we're adults. We know how to act, okay." Hodgins looked a bit off put by the assumption.

"Yeah right," the FBI agent muttered as their escort arrived. "Just no talking about sex while we're here, okay?"

"Fine, no sex talk."

"Good. Now let's go."

XxXxX

"Dude, I'm telling you, pirates would beat the crap out of ninjas." Hodgins huffed up the trail with Zack right in step with him. Ahead of them Angela and Brennan chatted while Booth trekked further up the trail. Zack looked over at Hodgins and shook his head.

"No, they wouldn't. First of all, there is no way the two ever would have faced each other, and if they did, ninjas would dominate the fight."

"They so wouldn't."

"Yes, they would." Angela and Brennan looked back at the pair and shook their heads. With Booth trekking up ahead, the two were free to talk. Angela linked her arm with Temperance's and leaned in closer to her.

"So sweetie, what exactly did Booth lie about that has you punishing him?" Brennan looked up at Booth for a moment as he pulled himself up onto a rocky ledge and turned to help the others up. As they began to walk again, Temperance turned back to Angela and sighed.

"I asked him if he had fantasies about marrying me."

"Bren, why would you do that? You know the man asked his ex to get married, so you know he wants to have that in his life."

"I wanted to see if he'd be truthful about it, or if he'd tell me what he thought I wanted to hear."

"I'm of course assuming he said no."

"Exactly. I couldn't exactly give him a harsh punishment for that. He was only trying to keep with my beliefs about marriage and children." They walked quietly for a while, enjoying the scenery as they hiked higher and higher up half dome, soaring pines growing up around them.

"Do you ever fantasize about that? Getting married I mean? I know you say you don't want to have children or get married, but you have to have thought about it before." Brennan was quiet for a while before she answered.

"I used to, when I was younger. When I was a foster kid, I used to imagine that I'd fall in love with some boy and he'd take me away like one of those Disney princesses." Temperance looked up to see that Booth had paused to drink some water. He looked back at her and smiled, the look sending her stomach into a flutter.

"Then why is it so hard to think of having that with Booth?"

"Why do I need to? If we love each other, why do we have to have a piece of paper to proclaim how we feel about each other?"

"I guess I see your point. It just seems kind of silly to completely discount marriage for that reason."

"It's not just that, there are lots of reasons to not get married. Marriage was created to hand a woman over to a man as a form of property."

"Do you honestly think that Booth thinks of you as property, or ever would? If that's what you think, you don't know him as well as I thought you did."

"Can we not talk about this please? It's not going to happen so there's no reason to discuss."

"Fine sweetie. What do you want to talk about?"

"Do you think that love really lasts, or does it fade after a while?"

"Hmm, I think that if you're with the right person then love can only grow. I think the longer you're with someone, the more you should love them."

"Well, I think it's a nice thought, but humans by nature aren't wired for monogamy. It's not in the best interest of the species."

"So you'd have no problem if Booth saw someone on the side?"

"I think that I wouldn't have an issue with it if he were upfront about the relationship. I myself have seen multiple people at the same time."

"Really? So you've done the threesome thing?" Angela was impressed. She didn't think that Brennan was that open, but apparently she was wrong.

"What? No, although I have thought about experiencing that at some point. No, I was seeing two men because one of them was mentally stimulating, and the other…well let's just say we didn't do much in the way of talking." The artist laughed at her friend's response.

"I'm sure Booth sees to both of those needs for you."

"Yes, which is why I wouldn't be interested in a second relationship."

"Uh-huh, I'm positive that's the only reason." Angela patted Temperance on the shoulder and shook her head. "Sweetie, I love you, but sometimes you're so clueless it amazes me."

"Okay ladies, enough with the chatter. We've reached the cables. It's a little hard going from here, so you need to concentrate." Booth took another drink from his bottle of water as he looked up the near sheer side of Half Dome. Running up the side of the large granite cliff were cables to allow people access to the top. He put the bottle away into his pack and grabbed hold of the cables and began to climb with the others following close behind.

Everyone stayed silent until they reached the top of the granite peak. Huffing to catch their breath, the team looked out over the Yosemite Valley. Mountain peaks soared as the tall pines straggled up their sides. Waterfalls flowed down the rocky walls of cliffs and down below, the floor of the valley shone green from the grasses there.

"It's beautiful here," Brennan murmured as she looked out from the cliff top. Booth stood next to her, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder and took a moment to admire the view with her. His attention however turned to the woman at his side. Sunlight shone off of her auburn hair setting it alight. God she was beautiful, he thought as he watched her. She turned to look at him and smiled. He couldn't stop himself, leaned forward and captured her lips with his.

"Okay you two, rein it in until we're done here," Hodgins said as he pulled out some of his equipment. Booth and Brennan reluctantly pulled away from each other and joined him to look for any evidence that might still be on the cliff top.


	17. Chapter 17 And the rain came down

_AN: Hello everyone. I know it's been a long time since I've last updated this story, but I promise you that I will do better to finish it and not put off writing it any longer. The only thing I can say about it is that I just wasn't inspired to work on it, but I really hope that you enjoy this chapter and keep an eye out for updates. Please let me know what you think as your opinions really matter to me._

"I think we've found everything we're going to," Hodgins said as storm clouds began to gather in the distance. They had been up top for several hours scouring the top of half dome for any bit of evidence they could relate to the case, but with the number of people who would have been up since the girl's death there wasn't likely to be anything there. "If we don't get out of here soon, we're going to get stuck in a hell of a storm."

"Okay then, let's pack up and get the hell out of here," Booth said and began to gather the evidence bags. Hodgins and Zack looked at Booth for a moment, amazed at the amount he was assisting them.

"Dude, what's with you and the help? Last time I was at a scene with you, you wouldn't touch anything." Booth looked at Hodgins as he secured the samples into a small case and put them in a backpack.

"Hey, believe it or not I am trained in forensics okay? It's required for all special agents to learn at Quantico. Besides, there's no one to interview up here and the remains are currently parked in the morgue at the Los Angeles Bureau. What else would I be doing?"

"Chill Booth. Don't get all defensive, I'm just saying that I never see you help. No need to get all snarky over the comment." Hodgins shook his head and finished packing up his equipment. Just as he zipped up his bag, lightning flashed. Everyone looked over at the approaching storm as thunder sounded a couple seconds later.

"Alright, does everyone have what they need? We need to vamoose now." Booth grabbed a backpack and slung it onto his shoulders. Everyone else did the same and hurried to the cables to descend down the sheer granite of Half Dome. No one spoke until they were safely down onto the lower trail.

"Booth, I don't think we're going to beat that storm," Brennan said as they moved along the wooded trail. Booth glanced up at the rapidly darkening sky.

"Well, we'll just have to get down as soon as possible. It's still going to take us a couple of hours to reach the base of the cliff assuming we can make three to four mile in an hour."

"There isn't somewhere we can take shelter?" Angela asked as the first drops began to fall around them.

"Unfortunately no. There weren't any tents packed because this isn't an overnight stay."

"Agent Booth, the FBI should have had more forethought before sending us up the side of a mountain as it will conceivably be at least six hours before we can return to Sacramento."

"And your point Zack?" A fat raindrop splattered down onto Booth's nose and dripped off the end.

"We should have tents."

"You know, maybe you're right. Then we could stop in the middle of a public trail and set up tents. Then we could spend the night hoping to God that the rain didn't seep into the tent or that the bears and mountain lions would leave us alone."

"Booth, be nice to Zack," Brennan said as she put a hand on his shoulder. He wiped a hand down his face before setting it on his hip. "We can just find someplace to stay for the night and head back to the city tomorrow."

"That's probably for the best anyway," Angela said. "It's really starting to come down out here and I for one don't want to listen to the boys complain for hours about soggy shoes and underwear."

"Hey," Hodgins said, looking genuinely put out. "We so would not complain about that."

"Oh please. Anyone who can argue for an hour about who would win in a fight between a killer whale and a T-Rex would complain about soggy underwear." No one spoke for a moment as the rain fell down onto the group. The silence was broken however by Hodgins.

"Dude, the killer whale would so win."

"No, it wouldn't, the tyrannosaurus would be able to kill the killer whale, which is a misnomer as orcas are in actuality dolphins," Zack said. Booth looked at him a little surprised.

"It's a dolphin?"

"Yes. Whales are built differently than dolphins and porpoises, and whales have baleen instead of teeth."

That's not entirely true," Hodgins threw in, determined to prove a point as Booth and Angela rolled their eyes. "Some whales have teeth."

"Hodgins is right Zack. Narwhals, belugas and sperm whales all have teeth," Brennan said. Booth groaned as they all continued down the trail as rain poured around them and lightning flashed in the sky. He so didn't need to get a biology lesson on sea creatures.

"But they're exceptions to the rule."

"Yeah, but you said all whales have baleen, which obviously isn't true. And anyway, orcas are whale enough and are much more effective hunters that the T-Rex so they'd totally win in a fight."

"You don't know that. The tyrannosaurus was the top predator of its time so it had to be successful. Anyway, the orca can't survive on land so it's a moot point." Booth sighed and walked a bit ahead of the group. It was the only way to escape the inane argument.

This wasn't how he thought he'd spend his time in Yosemite National Park. When he'd been informed of the remains, his first thought was of spending time in one of the country's most beautiful parks with Temperance alone. Instead he was here with the entire squint squad in the pouring rain listening to an argument about a situation that would never happen. Great, just great.

They finally reached the valley floor after three hours of hiking. Every single one of them was soaked to their skin, hair plastered to their heads, and muddy from the trip down Half Dome. They slogged their way back to the SUV, dumping their equipment in the trunk before climbing in the vehicle. Brennan pulled out her phone, relieved that she had a signal and immediately called her publicist.

"Brandi, this is Temperance. Could you please see if you can book me three hotel rooms in Yosemite for the night?" Everyone looked at her gratefully as she let the SUV idle as the heat warmed up the interior. "I need those rooms as soon as possible." She snapped her phone shut and looked at the others in the vehicle.

"So?" Angela looked at her with hope.

"She'll call back in a few minutes when she has the reservations set up."

"So what do we do in the meantime," Jack asked with a gleam in his eyes. Booth groaned and leaned back in the passenger seat and crossed his arms.

"Well we certainly aren't guessing where your hand is."

XxXxX

"Okay, here's one. What would constitute a perfect evening for you," Angela asked as she took a sip of her wine. However Brennan's publicist managed to get them a suite at the Ahwahnee hotel, she wasn't going to complain. The group was grateful enough to have a warm place to sleep regardless of where it was, but this was the premier hotel in the Yosemite Valley.

"Oh, that is a good one. I think a perfect evening for me would be attending a classic film theater and going out to dinner afterwards. I find that a calm atmosphere after a dramatic performance allows for my mind to relax a little and I can think about the subject matter." Booth shook his head a bit at Brennan's answer, somehow not surprised in the least that she'd want to discuss it in length afterwards. He did however file away the information for future use.

"What about you Booth? What would be your definition of a perfect evening?" He gave Angela a lopsided grin and leaned back onto the leather backed couch.

"It's not what you think it would be. I'm content with just staying in with the people I love and enjoying their company. There is nothing I wouldn't do for family so it would be nice to just spend time with them."

"Dude, you've got to be kidding me. Come on, how is that in any way perfect?"

"Your idea of a perfect Christmas is getting a massage in a chateau in French Canada. How is that any different from Agent Booth's ideal?" Zack asked Hodgins. The bug man had to admit that the kid had him there.

"Fine, next question. Have you ever had a one night stand?" Brennan, Angela immediately answered yes to the question posed by Hodgins, followed by his own admission in the positive.

"I don't believe in having sex just to have it. I want a real connection with my partner," Booth said, causing the bug man to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"I totally would have thought you'd have been all over that question Booth."

"Look, I have experience, but I just don't see why you'd want to have a so-so experience with a perfect stranger when you could have an amazing time with someone you have feelings for."

"Agent Booth, even I have had a one night stand, but that's because Naomi from paleontology wouldn't repeat the experience with me."

"How about we not talk about sex, because honestly I really don't need to know that much about you guys," Booth said, earning glares from the others.

"Well you're no fun," Angela said and swatted him on the arm.

"How about this one," Hodgins said with a gleam in his eyes. "If you knew that the president of the United States was going to be assassinated tomorrow, but his death would bring about world peace, would you still try to save him?"

"Leave it to you to come up with a question like that," Booth sighed.

"Well, what would you do G-man?"

"I am an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and former Army Ranger. What do you think I would do?"

"So you'd sacrifice world peace to save the president?"

"World peace is a joke. It would be great to think that everyone on earth could get along, but the minute you grow complacent, something like September Eleventh happens. The president is the leader of our country and as a federal agent it's my job to protect him."

"You are really gung ho about your job, aren't you?"

"Look guys, as fun as this little question and answer session has been, we have an early start in the morning and I'd like to get some sleep." Booth stood and headed from the parlor to the room he was sharing with Temperance. Brennan got up and followed him to the room as the others grumbled their way to theirs.

He liked the squints, he really did, but sometimes they just got a little too personal. Hodgins' question about the president was only asked to rile him up, and this he knew. Although the evening was much nicer than he'd imagined it would be, Booth just needed to get away from the others for a little while. He stepped out of the bathroom after cleaning up a bit and changing into a spare pair of pajama pants he kept in a travel bag. Even though he wasn't back home, he still made sure to keep some extra items with him just in case he needed them, and thank goodness he had. The hotel had a laundering service, so everyone's wet clothes were currently being cleaned. If not for the travel bag, he'd have nothing to wear.

When he stepped into the main room, a cold breeze washed over him, and he could hear the sound of the rain falling outside. Frowning, he headed toward the balcony. He smiled as he saw Brennan standing on the balcony watching the rain fall. His breath caught though as he took in what she was wearing. A dark blue silk nightgown skimmed the tops of her thighs with thin straps crisscrossed on the back. Lace lined the front, covering her breasts and playing peek-a-boo with what was underneath it.

"Jesus Temperance, you're gorgeous." She glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He brought his lips to the side of her neck, nibbling lightly on the skin. Temperance tilted her head to the side to give him better access as he slid his hands along her abdomen and up towards her breasts. "I swear, I'll never get tired of looking at you."

"Hmmm, tell me that in ten year's time." She arched into his touch as he cupped her breasts through the lace of her nightgown.

"I'll tell you in fifty year's time."

"That's not logical Booth. The chances of two people maintaining a relationship for that long…"

"My grandparents were married for fifty three years Bones, and that's not including the time they knew each other before they married. If you have a connection with someone, it can last." She didn't know if she could believe him, but the thought was a nice one. The idea that two people could be so in love and so connected that they could last in a relationship that long was wonderful.

"It's not realistic."

"Does it really matter if it's realistic or not? It's a goal and it happens." Booth pulled away from Temperance and sat on the floor of the balcony. She turned a bit to look at him.

"What are you doing?" He smiled and motioned for her to come to him. As she began to sit down, he grabbed her hips and guided her in front of him but kept her standing. "Booth?"

He pushed the bottom of her nightgown up and brought his mouth to her core, kissing her gently. She gasped at the initial contact, and then closed her eyes when he gripped her hips to hold her steady. Brennan put her hands on the railing of the balcony and pressed forward onto his mouth as he kissed and nibbled her mound. She could feel the rain falling down onto her face as she arched forward, each movement he made making her squirm. Her nipples tightened as the cold drops covered her body, and she brought up a hand to circle them.

Booth closed his eyes, concentrating on the taste and scent of her. He breathed in the heady scent of her arousal that built as he gave a long, slow lick to her before circling around her sensitive nub. She smelled so good, all musky and so uniquely her that it was a heady experience. He smiled against her and hummed his approval at the little mewls she made as he continued to circle around her clit.

He slid a hand down her hip and around her thigh until he could run his hand along her entrance. She was wet, heat pouring off of her as he slipped a finger inside of her. Brennan gasped and clenched around him, gripping his digit tightly as he pumped in and out of her. She began to pant, gripping at her breasts as she pulled at her nipples. The rain continued to fall, down onto her, making her slick and cold, a drastic contrast to the heat Booth was generating in her.

While she'd had a lot of experience as far as sex went, there was just something about doing it with Booth that made it so much more. He could generate feelings in her that no one else had, and it sometimes overwhelmed her senses. Booth sped up his pace, pulling her clit into his mouth and sucking gently on it as he continued to pump into her. Her body tensed, and she let go of her breasts and reached once again for the rail of the balcony. She fought for control, but found it impossible as her orgasm crashed over her.

Booth held her steady until she stopped shaking and pulled her down onto his lap. She panted as she laid her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Booth kissed her forehead and tightened his arms around her as they settled back against the rail.

"I don't know about you Bones, but I'm thinking it'll be a long time before we get tired of each other." Brennan snorted and snuggled closer into Booth's chest. As the gentle sound of rain fell around them, she couldn't help but think that he was right.


	18. A plan begins to form

The sun peeked over the clifftops in Yosemite, the first rays of early morning slipping into the windows of the Ahwanee resort. Temperance sighed and settled back into Seeley as his arm tightened around her waist. Where their hips met, she could feel the evidence of his morning arousal pressing against her. Brennan smiled and rolled up against him, feeling him push back with a slight moan. He placed a kiss against her shoulder, continuing in a trail down her back.

"Mmmm, good morning," she murmured, sighing as he slid a hand down her abdomen, cupping her as he dipped a finger into her core. A shiver passed over her as he pulsed his finger in and out, hitting against her sensitive walls. "This is much better than a wake up call."

"Glad I can serve," he said against the small of her back before nipping gently on the slope of her buttocks. Temperance squealed and jerked away from Booth. He just grinned and nipped at her again.

"Booth!"

"Sorry, but everything about you is so delicious." He moved on the bed until he stretched fully behind her again and slipped his finger from her core. She whimpered at the loss of contact until he moved her leg up, draping it over his own and slowly filled her. A mewl escaped from her as he began to move, almost pulling completely out before pressing back into her. He brought one hand up to cup her breast while the other stroked her clitoris, alternately matching his slow thrusts or pressing against the small bundle of nerves.

Temperance shifted her upper body slightly until her shoulders were flat on the bed and pulled Booth toward her for a kiss. Their lips met, molding together and moving as he moved in her. He touched his tongue to her lips, tracing them until she opened up for him. He slipped into her mouth, rubbing his tongue against her own, matching the rhythm of their joining. Everything was going slowly, sensually as Brennan pressed back into him, trying to pull him in deeper. Booth continued to rub her in small circles, swallowing the small mewling sounds she made. He loved the way she reacted to him, and even though they'd only been sexually involved a short period of time, he knew that she was very quickly turning into an addiction he couldn't get enough of.

"Unh, Seeley," Brennan said, breathless from the control rapidly slipping from her body as she got closer and closer to losing control. Booth shifted his grip on her to hold her hips, keeping up the rhythm that Temperance was faltering on.

"Just let go baby," he panted, thrusting faster as he felt her body tensing around him. She came around him, pulsing as she turned her head to cry out into the pillow. Booth followed her with a grunt and a grimace, trying to keep from yelling with the rest of the team in the next room over. He kissed Temperance once more before pulling out of her and rolling completely onto his back. Brennan looked at him and smiled, brushing hair out of her face.

"We really do need to wake up that way more often."

"I agree, and as much as I hate to get out of bed, we need to get going. We have to get back up to Sacramento so you and your squints can do your thing." Booth kissed Brennan once more and rolled out of bed for a shower.

Temperance pulled a bathrobe around her and left the bedroom for the shared living area. Hopefully they could get room service before having to leave the beautiful resort. She was surprised to find Angela already up and ready for the day as the artist worked on a sketch.

"What is that," Brennan asked as she came to sit next to her best friend. Angela looked down at her sketch pad for a moment before she showed it to Temperance.

"I'm sorry Sweetie. I was out on the balcony last night to get away from Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and I didn't mean to see anything, but you looked so beautiful..." The artist waited for her best friend's response as she took in the charcoal sketch of herself from the waist up as rain fell down on her. It really was a stunning piece of art, and as much as it seemed odd that her best friend had caught her in an intimate act with Booth, she wasn't really angry with her friend.

"It's beautiful Ange, really. I'm not sure what Booth would think though."

"How is that working out for you? You seem so happy with him." Temperance handed the sketch pad back to the artist and stared out the window a moment before answering.

"I am happy. I don't think that I've felt this way in quite some time, but Booth has this way of making me feel..."

"Making you feel what?" Temperance turned to Angela and smiled.

"That's it. He makes me feel, and I know that he'll never use that against me. It's actually quite liberating despite how terrifying it is at the same time. Quite the dichotomy."

"Well, emotions are scary things, but it's better to feel than to lock everything away."

"I think I'm beginning to see that. You weren't in here all night were you?"

"No. I got to sleep in the comfort of my own bed and made Hodgins and Zack share a bed. I just thought it best to be out of the room before they wake up and realize the effect that morning has on the male body."

"What do you... oh you mean a morning erection." Angela offered her friend a wicked smile and curled one foot up on the couch.

"Let's just call it my delayed revenge for the Christmas quarantine regardless of how much fun that turned out to be." Both women turned toward the bedroom door leading to the room shared by the two scientists when a yelp was heard just before a crash. The door swung open a moment later as Hodgins stepped out with a very disgruntled expression on his face.

"Okay, that's so the last time I am ever sharing a bed with another guy. That's just wrong." Angela and Brennan looked at each other and shook their heads in amusement.

XxXxX

"Alright, I've got one. What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done to get someone's attention?" Angela looked over the people in the vehicle as they drove back to the state capital of California. It was still raining outside as they continued on their trip.

"Oh, when I was in Junior High I made a mixed tape of love songs for a girl that I had a crush on," Hodgins said with a grin. Booth glanced to the backseat for a moment to look at the bugman.

"What's so embarrassing about that? Didn't everyone make mixed tapes?"

"Are you admitting to it?"

"I admit to having made a few tapes in my time, yes," Booth answered.

"Yeah, and what songs did you pull off of your tape collection?" The FBI agent snorted and shook his head a bit.

"There's just enough of an age difference between us that I didn't have the luxury of recording off of a tape I owned. I had to do it the old school way and wait for the song to play on the radio to record it."

"Oh god, you used Foreigner, didn't you," Hodgins answered back, laughing. "You used some cheesy love song like 'I want to know what love is' right? Man, at least when I was in Junior High we had stuff like Boys to Men and Bell Biv Devoe."

"Don't forget about New Kids on the Block," Angela said with a grin. "I used to have the biggest crush on Donnie Wahlberg."

"I always found Jordan Knight to be symetrically pleasing," Brennan pitched in from her place in the driver's seat of the SUV. "I remember watching their cartoon on Saturday morning. One time I recall being upset because it was preempted by coverage of the first Gulf War."

Booth shook his head from his place in the passenger seat of the SUV. "That is amazing. You were upset about missing a cartoon and I was in a war zone getting shot at."

"I would have thought you'd have been in college then, not in the military," Hodgins said, slightly surprised at Booth's admission.

"Nope. I had a bum shoulder and lost my scholarship. I had to get money somehow, so I joined the army just out of high school. I finished basic training and was pretty much sent straight over to Saudi Arabia."

"Well at least you were in the good Gulf War as opposed to this travesty that's continuing on right now. I swear if Bush..."

"How about we just change the subject and go onto something else," Angela interjected. The last thing that any of them wanted was for Jack and Booth to have it out over differing views of the United States' foreign policies.

"Why don't we just discuss the case and figure out what we know about the murders," Temperance said. For a moment the car was silent and it was obvious that for the time being, everyone was going to be on the same page. No more personal conversations. Now it was all about work, which was why they were all together in the first place.

"What do we know about all of the victims?"

"All of them were young women in their mid to late twenties. They were all strippers to earn the money for graduate school," Zack added.

"The killer is a location scout which can play to our advantage. We can find out from the studio that he works for where it is that he is scouting and probably track him down that way." Booth looked at Angela and shook his head a bit.

"I don't think it's going to be that easy. This guy has to know we're on his trail. I'm guessing he's going to send us on a wild goose chase if we try to track him that way. What I think we can do is find out where he's visited in the last month and stick to those areas. He has to build a relationship with these women."

"Yeah it's not like he'd be a sniffer anyway," Hodgins threw in. Zack, Brennan and Angela glanced at him curiously.

"I don't think I want to know what that is," Angela commented. In truth she had a pretty good idea of what exactly a sniffer was, and the idea wasn't appealing to her.

"Hodgins is right," Booth said in response. "Jeff isn't the type to just sit there in the front row and ogle the girls. He's going to know that won't win him any points with the girls."

"And you would know this how," Brennan asked. She was somewhat surprised that he would have spent enough time in strip clubs to know how to pick up a girl there, but at the same time, she was pretty certain he didn't need any help as far as attracting women went.

"Think about it Bones. If you were in their position, would you be interested in someone who sat close enough to smell you, or would you be more interested in the guy who didn't pay much attention to you in that type of place?"

"I see what you mean."

"I'll contact Ms. Seaver and find out where he's been in the last month and we'll have the local offices begin to canvas the strip clubs in the area. If anyone's seen him then we can move in for the arrest."

"Hey Booth, when we find out where he is, can I get in on that action?" Booth groaned, but smirked when Angela smacked the entomologist on the back of his head. Jack gave her a mutinous look. "It was only a question, geez."


End file.
